Hoey makes a move on the Challenge Tour
Julian Suri. Picture: Ota Mrákota
When Michael Hoey missed out on winning back his European Tour card by two shots at last year's Q-School, he consoled himself with the prospect of regaining his competitive mojo on the Challenge Tour this year.
Fast forward six months and Hoey is the biggest move in this week's Road to Oman rankings after moving up 91 places to 28th following his tie for fifth at the D+D REAL Czech Challenge on Sunday.
With €11,798 earned from five Challenge Tour starts so far, Hoey is just over €5,000 outside the Top 15 who earn automatic promotion to the European Tour next season.
Mount Wolseley's Gavin Moynihan remains the leading Irishmen in the Road to Oman standings, moving up one spot to seventh place following his cheque for €2,116 for finishing tied 16th thanks to a closing 67 at Golf & Spa Kunětická Hora.
Derry's Ruaidhri McGee is the next best of the Irish on the Challenge Tour in 17th place in the standings
West Waterford's Gary Hurley will have been frustrated to fall three spots to 48th after a poor weekend in the Czech Republic.
Tied for fourth at halfway, 24-year-old Hurley added rounds of 76 and 73 to finish tied 47th on five-under.
Kevin Phelan, 26, was 52nd on four-under in the Czech Republic with his first cheque of the campaign for €675 leaving him 169th in the Road to Oman.
Cormac Sharvin is 94th after missing the cut last week but
American Julian Suri is now first after his maiden Challenge Tour win.
Suri carried a three-shot lead into the final round, eventually closing with a 70 to win by two strokes from Finland's Tapio Pulkkanen on 23-under par.
Final scores
265 J Suri (USA) 67 65 63 70,
267 T Pulkkanen (Fin) 67 65 66 69,
271 O Farr (Wal) 71 65 67 68,
273 S Fernandez (Esp) 68 65 71 69,
274 C Mivis (Bel) 70 69 70 65, M Hoey (Nir) 68 68 69 69, T Linard (Fra) 65 69 70 70,
275 R Saxton (Ned) 72 67 67 69, N Cullen (Aus) 70 70 69 66,
276 E Goya (Arg) 72 65 73 66,
277 M Fenasse (Fra) 70 67 70 70, M Lundberg (Swe) 71 68 70 68, M Galiano Aguilar (Esp) 71 67 69 70, D Dixon (Eng) 73 68 69 67, P Whiteford (Sco) 72 64 68 73,
278 R Enoch (Wal) 70 67 69 72, C Bull (Eng) 69 71 67 71, R Santos (Por) 70 69 71 68, J Vecchi Fossa (Ita) 71 67 69 71, G Moynihan (Irl) 71 69 71 67, N Geyger (Chi) 68 70 70 70, C Blomstrand (Swe) 68 69 72 69, C Koepka (USA) 71 70 67 70,
279 J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 68 72 71 68, J Doherty (Sco) 73 68 70 68, C Braeunig (Ger) 70 69 69 71, A Rai (Eng) 72 69 71 67, B Eccles (Aus) 68 68 70 73,
280 M Kinhult (Swe) 70 70 67 73, V Perez (Fra) 70 65 73 72, J Guerrier (Fra) 68 68 71 73, B Neil (Sco) 71 70 72 67,
281 M Ford (Eng) 75 66 68 72, O Lengden (Swe) 64 73 73 71, J McLeary (Sco) 76 63 71 71, L Robinson (Eng) 67 67 75 72, P Eriksson (Swe) 71 69 70 71,
282 R Davies (Wal) 71 68 74 69, D Gaunt (Aus) 70 69 68 75, J Cafourek (Cze) 68 72 72 70, R Kellett (Sco) 71 70 71 70, J Zunic (Aus) 70 69 73 70, M Madsen (Den) 70 69 70 73, M Schneider (Ger) 71 70 73 68, B Virto (Esp) 70 68 68 76, A Meronk (Pol) 72 68 68 74,
283 P Tarver-Jones (Eng) 71 69 71 72, G Hurley (Irl) 69 65 76 73, A Zemmer (Ita) 71 64 73 75, C Doak (Sco) 69 68 74 72, P Maddy (Eng) 68 70 71 74,
284 M Baldwin (Eng) 70 70 74 70, F Bergamaschi (Ita) 68 72 75 69, K Phelan (Irl) 70 71 73 70, O Wilson (Eng) 72 69 73 70,
285 O Rozner (Fra) 70 70 72 73, J Lando Casanova (Fra) 70 71 70 74,
286 D Foos (Ger) 72 69 73 72,
287 E Johansen (Nor) 70 69 75 73,
288 J Senior (Eng) 69 70 74 75, O Suhr (Den) 72 66 80 70,
293 N Lindstrom (Swe) 68 71 80 74.
CUT
142 Cormac Sharvin (Nir) 70 72,
150 Stephen Grant (Irl) 78 72.
