Hillside ….
There is no questioning Michael Hoey’s determination to get back full-time on the European Tour after a gutsy 68 on day one of the Betfred British Masters at Hillside.
Hoey was five-under par playing the last only to drop a first shot of the round in overcast and very cold conditions on the long-time Open Championship Final Qualifying venue.
The Belfast golfer heads into day two still very well-placed and trailing just five shots behind England’s Matthew Jordan who matched age of 23 with just 23 putts in a new course record of a nine-under par 63.
Jordan is attached the Royal Liverpool club where Rory McIlroy captured the 2014 Open, and there’s no prize for guessing Jordan’s favourite football team
“Yeah, I didn’t expect Liverpool to win the way they did the other night. I just watched it, and again, and that takes your mind off golf.
“Everyone is talking about the game instead of the golf”.
Michael Hoey sounds a timely reminder of his talent in posting a 68 on day one of the British Masters.
Hoey birdied the second, fifth and seventh holes and then the 13th and 17th to be inside the top-10.
“It was good day’s golf while I just put a poor swing on my second shot at the last in taking bogey but overall it was pretty solid,” said Hoey.
“I was leading the Challenge Tour event in Spain last week shooting five-under but just didn’t quite finish it off but the game has been good this year.
“So, I’ve come here to Hilliside, and also the first time I’ve played either here or next door at Royal Birkdale, feeling confident and that was again reflected out there today.”
While looking to make every post a winner, the now 40-year old Hoey remains fully focussed on returning to the main European Tour where he’s won five times between 2009 and 2013.
He lost his full Tour card at the end of 2016 and failed to regain it a year later while Hoey last year contested just three of 26 events on the main tour and the remainder on the secondary Challenge Tour.
This year he arrived at Hillside having played in eight events with six of them, and due to his category, on the main Tour.
Hoey made that a lucky seventh this week in qualifying as the sixth last player into the Euro 3.42m event.
“No, there’s no questioning my determination as that continues to be my main goal and get back onto the main Tour,” he said.
“I know when I figure out my swing, I will get results and in saying that, it’s only taken me 40-years to figure it out (smiling) so it’s good and I am not hope, at all.
“I do enjoy my golf so much and my body is still in good shape for a now 40-year old.
“I feel I have been quite lucky of late injury-wise as I do also spend a lot of time in the gym while I have to give my caddy Chris (Selfridge) credit. He played on the Challenge Tour full-time just a couple of years ago so he’s helped a lot.”
Former British Masters winner Paul Dunne signed for a 71 while Mt. Juliet’s Gavin Moynihan TO BE ADDED.
