Hot Hoey comes up short in Moscow as Casey makes fine debut
Lee Slattery, winner of the 2015 M2M Russian Open. Picture: Getty Images
Michael Hoey made a late charge for victory but even a magnificent 64 left him three shots shy of an emotional Lee Slattery in the M2M Russian Open.
Eight strokes behind Slattery with a round to go, the Belfast man birdied four holes in a row from the second and then added a birdie hat-trick from the 11th to the 13th to go seven under for the day and get to within a shot of the lead.
But he had to settle for five frustrating pars to finish, burning the edge several times to end the week tied for fourth with James Heath, a resurgent Pablo Martin and the Swede Oskar Henningsson on 12 under par.
Hoey bagged €39,350 for his efforts to move up to 75th in the Race to Dubai while Niall Kearney (69) earned €6,400 for his share of 40th on two under.
"I got off to a great start, four under after five, hit it close a lot," Hoey told European Tour Radio. "It could have been nine under really. Bailed out a little bit on 18 really but the wind was picking up and it was 240 to carry the water. I played a really good chip and if it lands a little bit more it is down close. So I got a little bit unlucky there but still, I made a good par on 17. I needed to be maybe two better to make a playoff but wherever I finish, it is still a good week."
Set to take a few weeks off now to prepare for the Alfred Dunhill Links and the British Masters, Hoey added "Considering I have not played my best this week, it is a good finish. Yesterday (71) was poor. I just couldn't focus and with the first round I have thrown away maybe five shots. So if I can take confidence from that, I will be in good shape for the rest of the year."
Headfort rookie Brian Casey completed an excellent European Tour debut, adding a 70 to previous rounds of 72, 68 and 73 to finish on one under and earn €5,500 for his joint 42nd place finish.
Six under par through 12 holes and former #RussianOpen champion @MikeHoeyNI is looking dangerous. #Onthecharge pic.twitter.com/4E0dH8Y6Uo
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) September 6, 2015Damien McGrane was joint 55th on one over after a 70 and €3,225 did nothing for his battle to avoid Q-School, leaving him 167th in the Race to Dubai and with €84,205, some €95,000 short of the Top 110 who keep their cards.
As for Slattery, he held his nerve with a crucial par putt at the final hole to emerge from an enthralling finale with a one shot victory.
The Englishman entered the final day with a two stroke advantage and started in impressive fashion with a birdie at the first hole, but he soon found himself over par with bogeys at the second and sixth holes.
The 37 year old dug deep, however, and as a host of challengers began to emerge, he picked up three shots on the way home - including a hugely important holed chip at the 17th – before sinking a knee-jangling three footer at the 18th for a par which earned him a two under 69, a 15 under total and a first win since the 2011 Madrid Masters.
Slattery was visibly emotional in a post-round interview and dedicated the win to the ill father of his wife Faye.
Argentinian Estanislao Goya, playing alongside Slattery, held the lead for large portions of the final day but even a birdie at the last was not enough as he finished in outright second place on 14 under following a three under 68.
Last year’s champion of this event, David Horsey, finished in third place on his own on 13 under after a three under final round 68 while the 2013 winner Hoey was one of four players a shot further back on 12 under par, sharing fourth place.
Congrats @Slatts777 & @gerrybyrne63 brilliant result for 2 of the nicest men in golf!
— Michael Hoey (@MikeHoeyNI) September 6, 2015“It’s funny, the thing that’s been letting me down most has probably been my short game in the last few months, so I’ve worked so hard at that,” said Slattery, who made a point of giving Reeve Whitson some words of encouragement at the Irish Open. "To chip one in at such an important time meant so much and it shows that practice pays off eventually.
“At 18, I had 123 yards into a slight breeze and I just tried to chip a wedge and, as you can tell it flew a little bit further, and I pulled it a fraction as well, which is quite easy to do.
“It wasn't the way I wanted to finish but it's always nice to know you can hole a three foot putt on the last to win a tournament, so that meant a lot.
“Holing the long putt at 14 was crucial. I know that Tano (Estanislao Goya) bogeyed 13 and the other two guys hit good shots into the next and I thought, 'if I can hole my putt on top of these two here, I'll have a chance', and I managed to do that and I just pushed on really. That chip in was massive.
“Going back over the last year and a half off the golf course, I've got married, had a kid and moved house. My wife's dad is very ill as well, so this is for him.
“It's just nice to be able to finish the year off like this with a win, knowing that I can plan next year now and hopefully get myself going again to where I belong, I feel.”
M2M Russian Open, Skolkovo GC, Moscow (Par 71)
269 L Slattery (Eng) 66 67 67 69 (€166,660)
270 E Goya (Arg) 68 67 67 68,
271 D Horsey (Eng) 67 70 66 68,
272 O Henningsson (Swe) 69 68 67 68, J Heath (Eng) 70 66 71 65, P Martin Benavides (Esp) 68 67 70 67, Michael Hoey (Nir) 71 66 71 64,
273 C Lee (Sco) 67 69 66 71, J Roos (RSA) 68 74 68 63, B Evans (Eng) 67 68 71 67,
274 D Vancsik (Arg) 69 68 70 67, M Kieffer (Ger) 68 69 71 66, B Dredge (Wal) 66 66 72 70,
275 R Santos (Por) 74 67 69 65, D Drysdale (Sco) 68 69 69 69, J Scrivener (Aus) 70 66 70 69,
276 C Doak (Sco) 71 67 70 68, S Jamieson (Sco) 65 71 71 69, J Edfors (Swe) 71 68 70 67, D Kemmer (USA) 71 69 68 68, L Jensen (Den) 70 69 68 69,
277 A Pavan (Ita) 70 69 68 70,
278 D Van Tonder (RSA) 69 69 68 72, K Horne (RSA) 67 70 70 71, S Wakefield (Eng) 69 68 75 66, M Southgate (Eng) 68 69 69 72, J Lando Casanova (Fra) 69 68 71 70,
279 T Murray (Eng) 67 74 68 70, J Blaauw (RSA) 71 66 73 69, D Gaunt (Aus) 65 69 74 71, J Smith (Eng) 69 68 74 68, M Tullo (Chi) 69 72 68 70, R Dinwiddie (Eng) 73 69 68 69,
280 O Farr (Wal) 71 67 72 70, A Da Silva (Bra) 72 69 69 70,
281 T Chuayprakong (Tha) 67 71 70 73, K Richardson (Aus) 74 68 69 70, C Bouniol (Fra) 68 69 72 72, J Janewattananond (Tha) 73 69 74 65,
282 Niall Kearney (Irl) 70 71 72 69, R Lynch (Aus) 69 70 74 69,
283 N Johansson (Swe) 70 70 70 73, Brian Casey (Irl) 72 68 73 70, S Griffiths (Eng) 68 71 69 75, M Bremner (RSA) 69 71 70 73, D Frittelli (RSA) 71 70 73 69, M Nixon (Eng) 68 70 73 72, J Randhawa (Ind) 68 73 68 74,
284 B Stow (Eng) 69 71 74 70, J Colomo (Esp) 69 68 72 75, S Norris (RSA) 70 72 73 69, P Junhasavasdikul (Tha) 69 72 73 70, R McGowan (Eng) 71 69 72 72, M Brown (Nzl) 72 70 73 69,
285 P Meesawat (Tha) 68 71 73 73, J Knutzon (USA) 73 69 71 72, Damien McGrane (Irl) 70 72 73 70, J Ahlers (RSA) 72 70 74 69,
286 R Gangjee (Ind) 68 73 74 71, C Lloyd (Eng) 69 68 76 73,
287 E Espana (Fra) 68 72 75 72,
288 P Erofejeff (Fin) 73 66 77 72, S Hansen (Den) 69 73 72 74, A Summers (Aus) 68 74 75 71, P Pittayarat (Tha) 67 71 79 71,
289 S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 70 67 72 80, T Wiratchant (Tha) 69 71 78 71, A Curlewis (RSA) 72 70 75 72,
292 M Mamat (Sin) 70 72 77 73,
296 P Karmis (RSA) 73 69 78 76,
297 A Pavlov (Rus) 73 69 77 78
