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Michael Hoey is targeting a top three finish at least as he returns to the Northern Ireland Open Challenge in association with Maui Jim Sunglasses following the disappointment of missing the cut at last year’s inaugural event.
The five-time European Tour winner, a former graduate of the European Challenge Tour, is the official Tournament Ambassador for the event taking place on the pristine greens of Galgorm Castle this week.
The event made a huge impression last year, attracting over 20,000 people from the golf-mad nation - which has produced such golf superstars as Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke - while this year over 32,000 have registered for tickets, which are free of charge for the first time.
As one of the most successful Northern Irish players in recent history, Hoey was a main attraction for the home crowds last year but he unfortunately missed the halfway cut as Dutchman Daan Huizing went on to win the tournament, courtesy of a play-off victory over former Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson.
The 35 year old is hoping that he can make amends this time around though, and he feels like his game is in good shape as he takes on some of Europe’s most promising young players as well as many experienced European Tour professionals.
“It’s great to be back,” said Hoey. “It was a great event last year and I was just disappointed not to make the cut but hopefully I can put that right this year. I feel like my game is good at the moment, I played the course last Friday and on Monday and it’s in good shape.
“I think there was a lot of attention on me last year and I put myself under a bit too much pressure. I think I’ll just try and relax a little more this year.
“It would be great to finish maybe top three. This event doesn’t affect my own rank on The European Tour so I may as well just relax and play well.
“Expectation in golf is never a great thing, to think you’re going to do great. It’s that type of game, you just have to relax a bit more and not expect too much, so that’s what I’ll and try do this time.
“I could do with a bit of swing work because I haven’t played too much in the last six weeks so it’s just frustrating. I've done some work with my coaches in the last few days and it feels a bit more solid now so hopefully I can hole a few putts and see what happens.
”It’s a great tournament to be associated with and the business model is very good, they’re putting a lot into it here.”
Of course, Hoey hit the headlines on his last appearance on The European Tour when he got on a flight home in the belief that he missed the cut at Made in Denmark, before receiving a call that he had made the weekend and he was forced to withdraw.
“It didn’t end up being a good decision but sometimes these things happen,” said the Templepatrick player, who has won three times on the Challenge Tour. “I couldn’t see myself making the cut at all, but it wasn’t easy getting to and from that place so once you leave it’s hard to get back.
“You just have to learn from it, I got a bit of a ribbing for it understandably! I could have won the tournament over the weekend but it was fairly unlikely to get two 62s.”
Hoey heads a star-studded field at the Ballymena venue, with Englishman Wilson returning in the hope that he can go one better than last year and win a maiden Challenge Tour title.
He is joined by another former Ryder Cup player, Phillip Price of Wales, and a host of former European Tour winners, including Welshman Rhys Davies, Maarten Lafaber of the Netherlands and Swede Johan Edfors.
Jake Roos, meanwhile, is still chasing a third Challenge Tour victory which would earn him automatic promotion to The European Tour.
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