Hoey captures Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Northern Irishman Michael Hoey held off spirited charges from countrymen Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell to capture his  third ever European Tour title – and second win in 2011 – at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Hoey, who also captured the Madeira Islands Open earlier in the season had shot three successive rounds of 66 at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns to take a narrow lead over the field when they returned to St. Andrews Old Course for the final round, and while he couldn’t repeat the 66 for a fourth time, his 68 – which saw three birdies in the final four holes – was good enough to secure a two stroke margin of victory.

But it was nervous times for Hoey who had started three shots ahead of McDowell and five in front of McIlroy, as the US Open champion staged an early charge which saw a birdie at the second hole, and a holed second shot at the third for an eagle two. With three more birdies on the 6^th, 7^th and 9^th holes, McIlroy edged in front after Hoey had suffered a second bogey of the day, but Hoey battled back to level the score with birdies of his own at the 8^th and 9^th.

Graeme McDowell, playing with Hoey was also making headway on the lead; birdies at the 3^rd, 4^th and 9^th holes saw the 2010 Ryder Cup hero overtake Hoey and share the lead with McIlroy before Hoey’s back-to-birdies at the 8^th and 9^th saw the trio go into the turn level.

The current US Open champion moved into the lead again with a birdie at the 11^th, but that was to be McIlroy’s last, as the birdies dried up. But after Hoey missed a 4 footer for birdie at the 14^th, it seemed like the title was in the balance with McIlroy still holding a slender 1-shot advantage heading into the final four holes.

And like McIlroy, McDowell saw the birdies dry up despite another gain at the 12^th to share the lead with McIlroy. Hoey levelled and them moved into the lead with birdies on the 15^th and 16^th holes to, build a one-shot lead. A bogey at the infamous Road Hole spelled the end for McDowell, dropping three back, and when Hoey birdied the last it was all over, and Hoey collected a winner’s cheque of €599,149.

In the end Hoey came home two shots clear of McIlroy, with McDowell a further shot behind in third.

Local player George Murray, who hails from nearby Anstruther, partnered world number one Luke Donald in the final round and produced an error-free round of 67 to share third with McDowell, while Tommy Fleetwood carded 68 to share fifth with former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Warren.

Another former Open champion, Padraig Harrington, finished alone in eighth place after a 69 for 16-under par, while Luke Donald again made the top-10, going round in 70 to share ninth with seven players, including US Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and fellow Ryder Cup man Peter Hanson.

Clarke, Glover share halfway Open Championship lead as big names crash out!

Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke and United States’ Lucas Glover shared the lead after round two of the Open Championship at Royal St. Georges. Clarke, who just a few weeks ago saw countryman Rory McIlroy lift the US Open, and 12 months after another of his countrymen Graeme McDowell also win the US Open title, now could add to what is a remarkable period in Irish golf after a second round 68 saw him close at halfway on 4-under par.

Clarke hasn’t had a top-10 finish in a Major title for a decade, but his 68 – which gave his scorecard more colour than a kid’s scribble pad – moved him to the top of the pile. His round consisted of five birdies, an eagle, three bogeys and a double bogey, but he now shares a one-shot lead over first round leader, Dane Thomas Bjorn; also United States’ Chad Campbell, Germany’s Martin Kaymer and Spaniard Miguel Angel Jiminez.

If Clarke’s round was colourful, Lucas Glover’s was much plainer and the American’s level-par 70 consisted of two birdies and an equal amount of bogeys.

Thomas Bjorn had started the day as leader on 5-under par, but got off to a faltering start with three successive bogeys. But Bjorn, who wasn’t playing in the event until Monday evening, responded to claw his way back to level-par for the day to re-take the lead. But bogeys on the 12th and 14th holes saw him sign for a 2-over par 72, but he remains in contention, just one shot behind the leaders.

“I managed to stay with it today and the short game helped me a little bit at the end.” Bjorn said afterwards. “It wasn’t the prettiest of days golf-wise, but I’ll take where I stand in the championship right now.”

Benign early conditions were tempered later in the day by gusting winds, which made scoring tougher. But there are no less than 71 players within seven shots of the lead, in what is shaping up to be one of the most open Open Championships in years.

Seven players share seventh place on the leaderboard; among them is US Masters champion Charl Schwartzel who put in a round of 67 to join 1996 Open champion, Tom Lehman and Davis Love III, who will captain United States’ 2012 Ryder Cup team and big-hitting Dustin Johnson.

Amateur Tom Lewis had shared the overnight lead with Bjorn, after carding the lowest ever round for an amateur in the Open Championship, but slipped back to 1-under par alongside Phil Mickelson after a second round 74; while Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia are among a group of 13 that also includes Steve Stricker and Rickie Fowler on level-par.

61-year old golf legend Tom Watson also remains in the hunt; a hole-in-one on the par-3 sixth hole adorning his scorecard as he put in a second round 70 to book his place in the weekend’s play but some big names fell by the way-side as the cut-line fell at 3-over par.

Among them were the top two players in the world, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood. Donald posted four successive bogeys on his last four holes to sign for a 75 and a 6-over par halfway total – 3 more than the cut – to cut short his challenge, while Westwood signed for a 3-over par 73 to miss out on the weekend by just one stroke.

Also missing out was world number nine, Graeme McDowell, who struggled to a 7-over par 77 after beginning the day 2-under par. McDowell failed to card a single birdie in his round and joins Donald and Westwood on the sidelines for the weekend.

The big name trio are joined by fellow Ryder Cup player Ian Poulter, United States duo Matt Kuchar and Nick Watney and former champions Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington among the most notable to miss out.

McDowell charges into share of Scottish Open lead

Graeme McDowell put together a stunning 64 to leap to the top of the leaderboard and share the lead with Scots duo Scott Jamieson and Peter Whiteford.

All three players had completed their second rounds when thunderstorm warnings forced play to be suspended and later abandoned, with Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie amongst those affected by the delay.

McDowell came into the second round in joint 30th place after an opening 3-under par, but got off to a flyer with two birdies and an eagle in his first four holes, before adding another four gains without a dropped shot in his 8-under par round.

Whiteford and Jamieson both carded rounds of 66, but Jamieson in particular was left to rue a missed opportunity for the outright lead, having been four clear of the field at one point before a double-bogey at the penultimate hole. After an opening bogey, Jamieson reached the turn in 30, with a back nine holes that included a run of five straight birdies and an eagle; he added another eagle and a birdie on the homeward nine but also a bogey and the double-bogey.

Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara closed on 10-under par after a 66, while Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts also carded the same score to take a share of 9-under par alongside former US Masters champion Angel Cabrera and tipster selection, Scot Paul Lawrie; both players carding rounds of 64.

Nine players are locked in a tie for 8th place, on 8-under par, including Padraig Harrington, Justin Rose and Matt Kuchar but some players are yet to finish their second rounds.

Joint overnight leaders Mark Tullo and Lee Westwood among a group of players on 7-under par and still had holes to play before being forced off the course. Tullo was level par through seven holes, swapping a birdie with a bogey.

Westwood however turned in 1-over par 37 before making a birdie at the 10th hole and following with a par before being taken off course with seven still to play. Also in the group at 7-under par is world number one Luke Donald who was two-under par through nine holes following three birdies and a bogey.

Colin Montgomerie, needing a top-5 finish to qualify for next week’s Open Championship, began brightly with two birdies but posted a bogey in the 7th hole to slip back to 6-under par and sharing 25th spot. Montgomerie had played nine holes before the weather delay.

Barclays Scottish Open Betting Preview

With the Open Championship just over one week away, the European Tour heads to Scotland and the magnificent Castle Stuart Golf Links course, Inverness, for the Barclays Scottish Open.

The venue, one of the best golf courses in Scotland, takes over from Loch Lomond as the host course and Italian Edoardo Molinari will seek to defend his title against a strong field which includes five of the world’s top-10 ranked players, including the world number one Luke Donald and number two Lee Westwood. Also in attendance are Graeme McDowell and United States’ Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar.

The home challenge is led by US-based Scot Martin Laird, while Ernie Els is a former champion in the event. And Paul McGinley – whose putt won the 2002 Ryder Cup for Europe – marks a historic 500th European Tour start.

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Rory McIlroy: US Open Champion 2011

Rory McIlroy showed none of the nerves that led to his US Masters collapse with yet another solid display of golf at Congressional Country Club, Maryland to lift the US Open – his first major success.

McIlroy, playing in the final group with Y.E Yang and carrying a mammoth 8-shot lead into the tournament’s final 18 holes, never looked like giving the rest of the field a sniff at getting back into the tournament as he put together a 2-under par 69, including a nerve-settling birdie at the first hole before adding another at the 4th.

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