Hoey ace in Spain; Brady shines at Lytham
Michael Hoey is presented with a bottle of Spanish red wine, courtesy of hole-in-one sponsor Herederos del Marques de Riscal, by Challenge Tour director Alain de Soultrait in celebration of his ace.
Michael Hoey made his first hole in one for three years at the Challenge de Epaña and paid homage to his club sponsors.
The Northern Irishman (39) holed a seven-iron at the 180-yard 17th at Izki Golf, carding a 71 to make the cut with three shots to spare on two-under.
Hoey said: “Thanks to the guys at Titleist for spending some time with me on Monday in Cambridge. The new clubs are feeling really good and the seven iron I hit – the AP2 – came off the face really nicely.
“I feel like I’m playing close to really good. I’m putting well and you never know in golf. That hole-in-one was a nice kickstart to my season.”
The Northern Irishman was presented with a bottle of Spanish red wine, courtesy of hole-in-one sponsor Herederos del Marques de Riscal, by Challenge Tour director Alain de Soultrait in celebration of his ace.
Hoey is tied for 22nd with Derry's Ruaidhri McGee, seven shots behind Julien Brun of France, who shot 66 to lead by two shots on nine under from Poland’s Adrian Meronk.
Overnight leader Cormac Sharvin followed his opening 65 with a 75 to slip to tied seventh on four-under as the rest of the Irish missed the one-over par cut.
Clandeboye’s Jonny Caldwell shot 72 to miss out by one stroke but Naas' Conor O'Rourke missed by two after a 74 with Whitehead's John Ross Galbraith seven shots further back after a 78.
In amateur golf, Rosslare's John Brady is tied for second place, just two strokes behind England's Billy McKenzie after he stormed to the turn in four-under 40 en route a two-under 68 in the Lytham Trophy at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Dundalk's Caolan Rafferty is just three shots off the pace in 10th after a 69 with Massereene's Tiarnan McLarnon (71) and Dun Laoghaire's Colin Woodroofe (72) the next best of the Irish (see results in brief).
Lisburn's Paula Grant shot a level-par 73 to share eighth spot after the opening round of the Welsh Ladies Open Stroke Play at Aberdovey with Ballinrobe’s Shannon Burke tied for 15th after a 74.
Recently named in the GB&I Curtis Cup team, Grant lies four shots behind England’s Sophie Lambe, who shot a four-under 69 to take a one-stroke lead.
Challenge de España, Izki Golf (Par 72)
135 J Brun (Fra) 69 66,
137 A Meronk (Pol) 67 70,
138 N Von Dellingshausen (Ger) 67 71, M Ford (Eng) 71 67, O Lengden (Swe) 69 69,
139 W Besseling (Ned) 69 70,
140 J Sjöholm (Swe) 70 70, N Lemke (Swe) 71 69, C Sharvin (Nir) 65 75, G Stal (Fra) 71 69, J Senior (Eng) 70 70,
141 L Nemecz (Aut) 73 68, N Johansson (Swe) 71 70, P Barjon (Fra) 70 71, C Braeunig (Ger) 69 72, R Sciot-Siegrist (Fra) 72 69, J Pastor (Esp) 68 73, R Enoch (Wal) 69 72, J Doherty (Sco) 73 68, R Langasque (Fra) 72 69, C Feldborg Nielsen (Swe) 71 70,
142 J Quesne (Fra) 69 73, S Khan (Eng) 72 70, M Hoey (Nir) 71 71, J Maw (Eng) 74 68, J Huldahl (Den) 72 70, A Rozner (Fra) 70 72, E Goya (Arg) 69 73, N Geyger (Chi) 70 72, R McGee (Irl) 72 70, C Mivis (Bel) 71 71, A Knappe (Ger) 73 69,
143 P Mejow (Ger) 72 71, D Berna Manzanares (Esp) 72 71, P Angles (Esp) 70 73, R Santos (Por) 71 72, R McGowan (Eng) 72 71, R Van West (Ned) 70 73, M Kim (Kor) 70 73, H Joannes (Bel) 75 68, B Parker (Eng) 75 68, R McEvoy (Eng) 73 70,
144 B Virto (Esp) 71 73, V Perez (Fra) 72 72, P Maddy (Eng) 72 72, J Hansen (Den) 72 72, T Linard (Fra) 71 73, F Bergamaschi (Ita) 71 73, A Tadini (Ita) 74 70, D Boote (Wal) 71 73, A Chapman (Eng) 78 66, D Borda (Esp) 70 74, J Van Der Vaart (Ned) 75 69, M Galiano Aguilar (Esp) 71 73,
145 M Haastrup (Den) 74 71, J Adams (Eng) 73 72, F Aguilar (Chi) 74 71, A Arnaus (Esp) 73 72, P Erofejeff (Fin) 70 75, M Gradecki (Pol) 70 75, B Hellgren (Swe) 73 72, E De La Riva (Esp) 76 69, R De Sousa (Sui) 72 73, S Tarrio Ben (Esp) 73 72, T Santos Silva (Por) 74 71, H Leon (Chi) 74 71, M Lundberg (Swe) 73 72, P Figueiredo (Por) 76 69, X Gorospe (am) (Esp) 73 72,
Cut
146 J Caldwell (Nir) 74 72
147 C O'Rourke (Irl) 73 74
154 J Galbraith (Nir) 76 78
Lytham Trophy, Royal Lytham & St Annes (Par 70)
66 B McKenzie (Rowlands Castle);
68 R Williams (Peterborough Milton), S Locke (Stonehaven), J Brady (Rosslare);
69 N Van Tilburg (Ned), S Kraai (Ned), C Fyfe (Cawder), C Rafferty (Dundalk), Alex Hietala (Fin);
70 M Hirmer (Ger), J Cope (The Players Club), J Freiburghaus (Sui), J Long (Lansdown), T Williams (Wrexham), M Steinlechner (Aut);
71 L Lipold (Aut), T McLarnon (Massereene), C Consul (Ger), M Saulez (RSA), S McLaren (Bruntsfield Links), G Folk (Aut);
72 A Singh Brar (Parkstone), T Vahlenkamp (Ger), T Clements (Braintree), B Chamberlain (Padeswood & Buckley), B Gill (Lindrick), C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire), J Stokes (La Moye).
Other Irish: 73 A Gleeson (Castle), M Power (Kilkenny); 74 R Dawson (Tramore), E Smith (Laytown & Bettystown); 75 J Whelan (Newlands), R Mullarney (Galway).
Welsh Ladies Open Stroke Play, Aberdovey GC (Par 73)
69 S Lambe (Eng);
70 E Toy (Eng), C Goadby (Sco);
71 H McCook (Sco), C McGinty (Sco); 72 L Jones (Wal), A Collis (Eng);
73 A Llewellyn (Wal), L Hillier (Wal), P Grant (Lisburn), E Briggs (Sco), M Lewis (Eng), D Harry (Wal), G Batty (Sco).
Other Irish: 74 S Burke (Ballinrobe); 76 G Carr (Milltown); 79 E Corcoran (Grange); 81 C Screene (Hermitage).