Hoey Wins European Event

May 23, 2011

CLEMSON, SC – Former Clemson golfer Michael Hoey won the Madeira Islands Open in Madeira, Portugal on Sunday. It was Hoey’s second career win on the European Tour, as he had captured the Estoril Open de Portugal in April of 2009.

Hoey won Sunday by two shots over England’s Chris Gane and Jamie Elson with a 278 score for his four rounds. Hoey had rounds of 72-68-67-71 in winning 116,600 pounds. The victory lifted him 60 places to 54th place on the European Tour money list.

Hoey, now 32, hit his tee shot on the 13th hole into some rocks on Sunday. But, he got the ball on the green and one-putted for a bogey. “That was huge,” said Hoey. “It was kind of an ugly win.”

Hoey won the British Amateur in 2001 and that got him in the 2002 Masters. He has played professionally on the European Tour the last three years.

A native of Ireland, Hoey played at Clemson for the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons before he decided to return to his homeland. He played for the Tigers in the 1999 NCAA Tournament at Hazeltine Golf Club in Minnesota and helped the Tigers to an eighth place national finish.