Sunday, 22 May 2011 21:33
Michael Hoey made it back to back wins for HSPSE pupils when he claimed his second European Tour title with a two shot victory at the Madeira Islands Open.The 32 year old, who works with Putting Coach Phil Kenyon fired a closing 71 to finish ten under par for the week at the stunning Seve Ballesteros-designed Porto Santo Golfe.
The Northern Irishman started the day level with Jamie Elson, but used his experience to par the first seven holes before a first birdie of the day at the eighth. Hoey finally dropped a shot at the 13th, but with Chris Gane closing in he kept his cool and a birdie at the next re-established his advantage.
"It was just very very tough," he said afterwards. "I had to dig really deep, especially after I hit one in the rocks on 13, and I thought 'that's it now, I've thrown this thing away completely'."It's a crazy game. But I somehow managed to make a good swing on the third shot, and holed the putt for bogey, which was huge, it kept me in it. Then I birdied the next, and just parred in after that. The main thing was my putting, I made virtually all the six to seven footers on the way in.
"It's weird, because I think everyone was struggling a bit. If someone had really gone out there and shot a good score, then they could have got to maybe 11 or 12 under, or maybe even better, but nobody did that. Sometimes that happens on the final day and it's quite an ugly win, it was kind of quite ugly today. So I'm lucky to come out on top.
Hoey's performance this week showed the progres he has made on the greens whilst working with Phil kenyon. "I guess I knew I had a good chance this week. The last two years I finished sixth both times, and I knew I was putting better and chipping better this year. That's what I did well, I just chipped and putted better than the last two years. It was also windy when I won the Estoril Open at Oitavos Dunes, and I guess growing up in those conditions so that's an advantage".
Phil Kenyon with Michael Hoey at the Putting Studio
