Injury and illness can’t sink Hoey

After recently avoiding serious injury in a swimming pool mishap, Michael Hoey was battling a mystery virus as he fought to remain in contention with two rounds remaining in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

Hoey signed for a three-under-par 69 to move to five under in unusually benign conditions on the only golf course in Doha.

It left the Belfast golfer trailing just four shots behind the leading four of Portugal’s Ricardo Santos (70), Australia’s Marcus Fraser (67) and the Ryder Cup heavyweight duo of Martin Kaymer (67) and Sergio Garcia (66).