Northern Irishman Michael Hoey held off compatriot and world No. 3 Rory McIlroy to claim the Dunhill Links Championship title on Sunday.
Three birdies in the last four holes at the home of golf for a closing 68 and a 22-under-par total of 266 earned Hoey a two-shot victory over the US Open champion, with Graeme McDowell completing a Northern Irish one two three.
“I knew I had to hit the three best shots of my career over the last three holes and I did,” a delighted Hoey told reporters.
Hoey needed a battling comeback as McIlroy turned on the sort of display that won him the US Open at Congressional in June, producing a spectacular final round 65.
McIlroy began the day five strokes adrift of Hoey, but his first nine holes to six-under 30, including an eagle-two with a 90 yard pitch-in on the third, took him past the overnight leader.
Hoey trailed McIlroy right up to the 15th, due to missed birdie putts of four and three feet on the 11th and 14th, but the lesser-known Ulsterman refused to bow.
When Hoey speared in a stunning approach to less than a foot on the 16th, he moved back to the top of the leaderboard and a birdie on the last extended his victory margin.
It was by far the 2001 British Amateur champion’s best success of three European Tour titles, worth US$800,000, as the 32-year-old at last realized his potential after many years in the doldrums, including six visits to qualifying school.
“There have been points when I have asked myself: ‘Do I want to continue because it’s not nice when you’re running out of money?’” Hoey said. “This has now opened doors to tournaments like world golf championships, events I’d only watched on TV.”
McDowell, last year’s US Open champion, closed with a 69 to finish four strokes behind Hoey alongside Scot George Murray. It was the first time Northern Ireland has enjoyed a one-two-three finish on the European Tour.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
RSS