Michael Hoey is targeting a strong second round and a route into the weekend at the Northern Ireland Open Challenge in association with Maui Jim Sunglasses after opening with a roller-coaster level par round of 71.
The five-time European Tour winner is the Tournament Ambassador for the event, which has seen 40,000 people register for tickets thus far with an attendance of 4,429 on the opening day, and he provided the main attraction for the many onlookers.
Playing alongside fellow multiple European Tour winner and former Challenge Tour Number One Johan Edfors, as well as Spain’s Jordi Garcia Pinto, Hoey started with back to back birdies before losing those shots with a double-bogey at the third.
A birdie at the eighth was followed by an eagle at the ninth but he lost his momentum as a 47 minute delay halted his progress before dropping four shots in the five holes after the resumption.
Another bogey at the 16th left him two over heading down the last but two superb shots and a putt handed him a lifeline with an eagle three and he is now hoping to push on at the weekend and give the crowds something to shout about.
“It was a disaster after the turn, just lost my concentration basically,” said the 35 year old, who missed the cut at the Ballymena venue last year. “I was in a good bit of rhythm before it and just lost my concentration. I was fighting towards the end and at least I've given myself a chance to get into a position tomorrow.
“I was looking at missing the cut but I played the last well, got a nice little bounce in, I didn’t get too many breaks today but got a nice kick there to put it close and an eagle gives me a chance now.
“I haven’t been too sharp, the wind was strong and I was trying to hit come soft shots in and I just hit them too hard over the back, misjudgements really. There were some good swings and I felt the putter was good on the front nine so I just have to keep at it tomorrow.
“It was miserable at times for the crowd out there, we were all making bogeys so it wasn’t a great atmosphere. But I started birdie-birdie which was good and then had a good crowd on the ninth for the eagle so I pleased a few people there. Hopefully I’ll get lucky with the weather in the morning.”
