Hoey and Molinari disqualified at Baltray

Michael Hoey went all Woosie when he disqualified himself for having 15 clubs in his bag in the 3 Irish Open.

The Ulsterman brought back memories of Ian Woosnam’s caddie cock-up in the final round of the 2001 Open at Lytham, when the Welshman “went ballistic” as he discovered an extra driver in his bag as he battled for major glory.

But there was even greater heartbreak for first round leader Francesco Molinari as he signed for a wrong score and joined Hoey on the road home.

The Italian signed for a 73 that would have left him right in contention on eight under but failed to notice that playing partner Peter Hanson had put him down for a six on the 13th instead of the 12th.

Molinari could only blame himself for not checking his card but Hoey didn’t know whether to point the finger at himself or his Zimbabwean caddie Ian McGregor.

After discovering an extra club hidden under the rain gear in his bag as he tackled the par-five second, he realised he also had it in his bag for Thursday’s 71 and had signed for a wrong score.

Bitterly disappointed, Hoey was two under with two par fives still to play and hoping to make a charge.

He said: “It obviously happened to Ian Woosnam. I was getting back into the tournament and I was enjoying the day. It is so stupid and I can’t believe it because I was moving up the leaderboard.

“I just realised before I was about to hit my second shot on the second, the par five, that underneath all the wet gear in my bag that there was an extra club in there.

“I knew right away that I had 15 clubs in the bag and that they had been in there since yesterday so I was disqualified straight away for signing for a wrong score yesterday.

“I always have a rescue and a two iron with me every week but I presumed my caddie knew that I wouldn’t be taking the rescue because this is not a rescue golf course.

“But it wasn't taken out and it is partly my fault and partly his.”

Woosnam kept on Irish caddie Myles Byrne before sacking him for turning up late at a tournament in Sweden the following month.

But Hoey has not decided on McGregor’s fate after winning the Portuguese Open in their only third event together three weeks ago.