Hoey stays on route 66

IRELAND’S Michael Hoey and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood stormed clear of a host of big names, sharing the second-round lead at the Dunhill Links Championship yesterday.

Fleetwood, who leads the second-tier Challenge Tour rankings, shot a 9-under 63 at Kingsbarns, the same course where first-round leader Hoey shot a second straight 66. They both have 12-under totals of 132.

Hoey has already won a title this year — in Madeira in May — but capturing the Dunhill Links and a first prize of $800,000 (€595,000) would rank much higher among his achievements.

“It’s nice to do well in the big ones, because I did reasonably at Wentworth (31st) too. Hopefully, I can keep going the next two days,” the former British amateur champion said.

Hoey is another former Walker Cup player — he was on the winning side along with world number one Luke Donald in 2001.

He said: “I’ve always enjoyed this pro-am format,” the 32-year-old said. “A couple of years ago I was tied for the lead after two rounds. It’s slow, but it really takes your mind off stuff between shots.”

Fleetwood won the Kazakhstan Open earlier this month, with the first prize of £55,000 taking him top of the European Challenge Tour rankings and securing his place on the main tour for 2012.

But the 20-year-old can win almost 10 times that amount with victory at St Andrews tomorrow after storming into contention with a superb 63 at Kingsbarns yesterday.

Fleetwood, a former Walker Cup player and English amateur champion, carded nine birdies and no bogeys to finish 12 under par, sharing top spot on the leaderboard with Hoey, who shot 66 at the same venue.

Former British Open champ Louis Oosthuizen, who lifted the Claret Jug at St Andrews in 2010, is one off the lead after adding a 67 at Carnoustie to his opening 66 at Kingsbarns. That means the 28-year-old now has two rounds left over the Old Course to try to claim a second win at the Home of Golf. Oosthuizen will have his work cut out, with 25 players within five shots of the lead going into the final two rounds.

Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell completed a second consecutive 67 to lie two shots back on 10 under, alongside Australian Daniel Gaunt, Scotland’s Marc Warren, Austria’s Markus Brier and South African Jaco van Zyl.

Defending champion Martin Kaymer (67) is a shot further behind after dropping two shots in his last three holes at Carnoustie, with Lee Westwood, US Open champion Rory McIlroy and Tom Lewis all on seven under. Pádraig Harrington shot a 71 at Carnoustie, the scene of his Open triumph in 2007, to finish five under, while world number one Luke Donald and his 2010 Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie were on four under.