Belfast golfer shows solid form in second round

MICHAEL HOEY held on to his overnight lead at the halfway stage of the European Tour School stage one qualifier at Cheshire’s Carden Park when he added a 68 to his course record 63 for an 11 under par aggregate.

The former Walker Cup player and amateur champion, who turned professional after competing in this year’s US Masters at Augusta, played as solidly in the second round as he did in the first, but the difference lay in the putting.

“I was not trying to shoot another low score and settled for aiming for the middle of the greens, so I did not have the same number of birdie chances,” the 23-year-old said.