Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey secured his first victory as a professional, and a place on The 2006 European Tour, after an unbelievable final round at the European Challenge Tour’s BA-CA Golf Open, presented by Telekom Austria, conjuring a brilliant birdie-birdie finish to take the title by a single stroke from Sweden’s Steven Jeppesen, with Olivier David of France in third place.
Hoey’s final round 67 ensured him a four round total of 19 under par 265 and a cheque for €24,000 that propelled him to third place on the Challenge Tour Rankings and secured his place on The European Tour as one of the top 20 Challenge Tour players of the season.
The 2001 British Amateur champion has always had the potential to go all the way, and after two full seasons on the Challenge Tour looks ready to mix it among Europe’s best players.
He certainly showed his ability and mental strength over the final round at the beautiful Fontana Golf Club on the outskirts of Vienna, resisting a serious charge from South African Michael Bothma and then canceling out a late miracle finish by Jeppesen with that birdie-birdie climax to take the title.
Bothma started the day three shots off the lead but after a couple of hours of exemplary golf looked likely to be the man to lift the trophy, having hauled himself into a one shot lead by birdieing six out of his opening 12 holes to move to 18 under and into a one shot lead from Hoey.
The drama intensified as Bothma made his first mistake of the day on the 14th, running up a double bogey six to fall one behind Hoey – and there was a lot more to come as the leaders entered the closing stretch.
Bothma hit back from his aberration on 14 immediately with a birdie at the 15th, before he saw his challenge cruelly taken away at the par three 17th where he made triple bogey after finding the bunker off the tee and then splashing into the water from the sand.
As Bothma’s bid for the title deteriorated (he eventually finished in a tie for sixth on 14 under), Jeppesen struck a wonderful seven iron to a foot for birdie on 17, before a delightful eagle on the 18th put him in the clubhouse on 18 under and piled the pressure on Hoey.
The Belfast man responded magnificently, holing from 15 feet for birdie on 17 to tie the Swede and then finishing the job in some style with a birdie at the last, rolling his ball in from four feet to secure a one shot victory.
“I didn’t know when the first win was going to come. I have had a couple of second places this year but to win on a course like this one is brilliant. This golf course is awesome and I am already thinking about The European Tour event here next year.
“I finished well again today. I finished birdie-eagle yesterday and then with two birdies today so the last two holes have been very good to me. I had an idea that I had to make a birdie on the 18th but I hadn’t really been looking at the leaderboards out on the course. Golf is like that – you usually have to birdie the last to win.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet but to win here means a lot. To win on the Challenge Tour, where the standard is so high, is unbelievable. It just means so much to have won my first professional event, and I can’t wait to get onto The European Tour next season.
“Before that I can now try and win the Challenge Tour Rankings. I have moved up to third place after this win and we have a few big events left on the Schedule so that is my next goal. I’m playing in Sweden next week so I don’t know when I will have the chance to celebrate this properly but I certainly will be celebrating soon.”
