Hoey 65 Claims Hassan II Trophy

Michael Hoey fired a closing round of 65 to claim his fourth European Tour victory in the Hassan II Trophy in Morocco.

The Northern Irishman benefited from being one of the few players to complete his third round on Saturday - several of his adversaries having to finish early on Sunday.

Hoey's 65 the previous day eventually saw him start the final round two off the lead held by Matteo Manassero (65) and Damien McGrane, who double-bogeyed the 18th early in the day to card a 71.

Irishman McGrane retrieved both shots at the first two holes in his final round but Hoey raced to the turn in 31 including a run of four successive birdies from the fourth.

The pair continued to trade the lead though, McGrane picking up shots at the 10th and 11th while Hoey made his first mistake of the day as he turned for home, making six at the long 10th after finding the wrong green.

But McGrane then gave one back at the short 12th, and although he got it straight back it was Hoey who was to finish the stronger, picking up three birdies in four holes to sink McGrane's hopes of a first win in four years.

He won by three shots at the finish with McGrane hanging on for second with a round of 70.

"I knew it was going to be tough, I'm surprised Damien bogeyed 17 and I thought it would be a little bit tighter towards the end," Hoey, who had a breakthrough win at the Dunhill Links last year, told Sky Sports.

"It was nice to see my second shot land on the green there and I had three or four putts for it, which is unique, really.

"I've been working hard with my coach and my swing is more consistent and obviously my putting has been brilliant, I've got a nice team and my wife who travels with me."

Manassero had been searching for a victory that would take him back to Augusta next month, but his round never got going at he went to the turn in 38.

At eagle at the 15th gave him renewed hope but he still required a strong finish and it wasn't to be, a six at the 17th seeing him fall into a tie for sixth.

But the round of the day undoubtedly belonged to Jamie Donaldson, who returned a sensational 11-under-par 61 that included an eagle at the ninth - his closing hole - after finding rough off the tee.

The Welshman had two more eagles on his front nine as he covered it in 28 to spark dreams of a first 59 on the European circuit, and although he birdied the 10th a six via the water at the par-five fifth halted the momentum, but a third place finish proivides excellent compensation.

Donaldson was joined by fellow Welshman Phillip Price and Englishman Robert Coles on -13, four behind Hoey, with Manassero alongside Edoardo Molinari and Keith Horne one further back.

Moroccan McGrane Takes Sunday Lead

Damien McGrane leads after three day of the Trophée Hassan II, but Matteo Manassero is just one shot behind as the Italian seeks a second Masters Tournament appearance before his 19th birthday.

McGrane's only European Tour title came by nine shots in China four years ago and he started the day three strokes behind clubhouse leader Phillip Price but with 13 holes of his second round remaining after lengthy wind delays on Friday.

On his return to the Golf du Palais Royal course in Agadir McGrane birdied the seventh, ninth and tenth to pull level with former Ryder Cup hero Price, before two-putting the long 15th for birdie to take the outright lead.

He holed an important six footer at the last to confirm his halfway advantage, then mixed four birdies with three bogeys over the first ten holes of his third round to reach 12 under par.

That was one ahead of not only teenager Manassero, but also Spain’s José Manuel Lara, with Northern Irishman Michael Hoey a shot further back in fourth after a brilliant 65 – that despite missing a six foot par putt and bogeying the last.

“It was a nice way to finish the day with a birdie but I have to be honest and say that it was a bit of a mixed bag out there today,” said McGrane.

“Plenty of birdies and bogeys so not quite as good as the first two rounds. I have actually missed a few fairways out there in the third round and that is probably the easiest thing to do on this course.

“But I can’t complain too much – I am in the position you want to be going into the final day and hopefully I can get the job done. We’ll come back tomorrow and we will have a winner so hopefully that can be me.”

Manassero, needing a win to climb into the Official World Golf Ranking's top 50 and earn a place at the Masters Tournament in a fortnight’s time, was a brilliant six under through 14 holes.

The 18 year old, who impressed with a 36th-placed finish at Augusta National as a 16 year old, two-putted the long tenth for birdie, gained another shot with an approach to ten feet at the next then completed his hattrick with a two at the 199 yard 12th after an outward 33.

“It was a very good round for me,” said the Maybank Malaysian Open champion.

“I went out there trying to make no mistakes and not to leave any shots out there and it worked out to be a great 15 holes. I made a lot of birdies and a lot of good putts and I knew that I needed to do that. I knew that I needed to get to double figures at least by the end of the day to get into contention and that is the way it went.

“The dream is still alive and I have to try my best to make it happen. I am certainly going to try and win the event first and foremost to win the event and then if The Masters happens it would be amazing.

“I have to say that the extra prize of the Masters really helps me as well. It gives me extra motivation and I seem to play better in that kind of situation. I had a few months recently where I couldn’t get into contention but after last week and now this week it feels great to be playing well and having chances to win.”

The 34 year old Lara had carded a 65 to race into contention on Friday, and mixed three birdies with a single bogey over the first ten holes of his third round.

“It was a difficult day and it was tough conditions for the first few holes today but all in all I am still in a great position,” said the two-time European Tour winner.

“I just hit a bad drive in the 11th but overall I am happy to be 11 under and at the top of the leaderboard.

“I am playing well so I am trying to do the same things as I have been all week and hoping that it will be good enough tomorrow. Thankfully one thing is certain tomorrow - we won’t finish in the dark!”

Former Ryder Cup star Phillip Price, the overnight leader, had a disappointing start to his third round and missed putts from inside five feet on the fifth and sixth to turn in 39.

But a huge eagle putt at the tenth got the Welshman back to nine under, just three behind and with eight holes remaining.

McGrane Takes Second Round Lead

Damien McGrane signed for a second round 68 on his return to Golf du Pails Royal to retake the lead at the Trophée Hassan II.

The Irishman only played five holes on Friday after five-and-a-half hours’ play was lost to strong winds in Morocco.

That allowed Welshman Phillip Price to set the clubhouse target at ten under par with the former Ryder Cup star carding a 66.

But McGrane, who began the tournament with a 65, had four birdies and no dropped shots over the 13 holes remaining in his round to re-establish his lead at 11 under par.

José Manuel Lara and Joel Sjöholm, who like Price were able to complete their rounds on Friday, lie third and fourth on nine and eight under respectively.

As the second round drew to close Dutchman Joost Luiten produced an eagle and two birdies in his last four holes for a 66 to charge into a share of fourth with Swede Sjöholm.

“I have been very steady for the last 36 holes and playing nicely and taking a lot of the opportunities that I am creating for myself,” said McGrane, whose only European Tour title came by nine shots at the Volvo China Open.

“I am playing with confidence and have now given myself a great opportunity to try and get another win here. I have some good feelings out on the course this morning and I am very content at the moment.

“I suppose you could say that I have had the good side of the draw this week because I didn’t have to wait around at the course all day yesterday. It is always better when you can relax around the hotel and take it easy there, but these things even themselves out over the course of the season and I just have to try and take advantage the best I can.”

McDowell Moves a Day Early

Graeme McDowell completed a second round 63 in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

In recent weeks G-Mac has seen Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Luke Donald win the last three US PGA Tour events and from six off the pace after his opening 72 he moved alongside early clubhouse leader Jason Dufner.

The American added a 69 to his opening 66 to stand nine under par at halfway and then had to wait to see what the chasing pack - Tiger Woods and Justin Rose included - could do later in the day.

McDowell has fond memories of the event, finishing second back in 2005, and his round matched his lowest-ever score in the States.

Birdies at the fourth and fifth began his move through the field from joint 27th overnight and he then holed from 27 feet at the short seventh and 32 feet on the next.

A 98-yard pitch to four feet at the tenth took the 2010 US Open Champion to five under for the day and two holes later, after driving into a bunker, he hit his third shot to five feet to set up his sixth birdie.

The best was still to come, though. A 215 yard approach to seven feet on the 16th brought an eagle and he rounded off an inward 31 with a ten foot birdie putt at the last.

At that point he and Dufner were three clear of Korean Charlie Wi, who had yet to resume, while Sergio Garcia was only four back after a 67 and both defending champion Martin Laird (68) and Ian Poulter (69) five behind.

Woods and Rose, joint fourth after starting with rounds of 69, both parred their first two holes.

Price Right... But Not for Damien

Day two of the Trophee Hassan II in Agadir saw a five-and-a-half hour delay due to very strong winds at the Golf du Palais Royal, leaving over half the field were unable to complete their second rounds.

Amongst them was the overnight leader, Damien McGrane, who only completed only five holes. 

So it fell to former Ryder Cup hero Phillip Price to set the pace on Friday with five birdies in eight holes to take over at the top of the leaderboard. The Welshman, who beat Phil Mickelson as Europe won the Ryder Cup in 2002, moved to nine under par in Morocco.

Starting on the back nine at Golf du Palais Royal, Price parred his first five holes before a hat trick of gains from the 15th. Further birdies followed at the second and fourth as the 45 year old, who kept his European Tour card by the skin of his teeth last season, moved two shots ahead of overnight leader McGrane. 

Nine years after winning the last of his three European Tour titles, Phillip Price put himself in a great position to add another with a second round 66.

Spain’s José Manuel Lara moved into solo second with a joint best-of-the-week 65, with Sweden’s Joel Sjöholm and South African James Kingston a shot further back the latter with a hole remaining.

“I was delighted with that today and I was very surprised by how calm it became throughout the day after this morning,” said Price. “It was really windy when we started so to go out there and shoot six under is really pleasing. It was rather unpleasant this morning so very pleased.

“I had a 05:25 alarm call this morning and then a five-and-a-half-hour delay. Thankfully I managed to have a little 20-minute power nap in the locker room during the delay and that really helped. But it was frustrating to go to the tee twice and not be allowed to tee off because it is difficult to get yourself in the right mood and then be called off.

“By the time we got to the tee for the third time I wasn’t sure if we were going to be allowed to go, but thankfully it died down and, as I said, I managed to play very well. I thought it was going to be a real battle today but it calmed down and I managed to calm down and played some really nice stuff.”

“I am playing better which is great,” said Price, who has not finished in the top 100 on The Race to Dubai since 2004 and last year took the 118th and final card.

“It is nice to feel that way again because it has been a long time since I have been anywhere near the top of the leaderboard. I just have to go back and relax now and wait till I have to get out there again because they will obviously have to finish the second round tomorrow morning and I will have a very late tee off to the third round.

“I can’t actually remember the last time I was leading after two rounds – it might even be as long ago as the European Open that I won in 2003 so to be up there again is a great feeling.”