The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Wife’s dedication helps Hoey find clubs and form
Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey had his wife’s dedication to thank for posting an opening 69 in the Hassan Trophy in Morocco.
Hoey’s clubs were lost in transit on the way to Rabat, but his wife Bev went the extra mile to ensure he received a replacement set, which he used to good effect at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.
The 39-year-old explained that his wife flew from Belfast to London to pick up clubs from Titleist before returning to Morocco to add more clubs to his bag and then jumped in a taxi to Rabat so he could play in the competition.
A day later, Hoey carded four birdies and a solitary bogey to finish two shots behind clubhouse leaders Bradley Dredge and Alvaro Quiros, with England’s Oliver Fisher part of a five-way tie for third on four under.
Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher carded five birdies as he stayed hard on the heels of the leaders with a two-under 70 leaving him three shots off the lead.
Dredge won the last of his European Tour titles the following year, but has not recorded a top-10 finish since August 2016.
“I’m very pleased to be leading the tournament after round one,” Dredge said. “I played nicely all day.”
Defending champion Edoardo Molinari, who defeated Paul Dunne in a play-off 12 months ago, struggled to an opening 75, with his only birdie of the day coming on the 18th.
Dunne, who began the week as the tournament favourite following his runners-up finish in the Spanish Open last week, was two under par after 12 holes but had to settle for a 73 after a double bogey on the 13th was followed by dropped shots on the next two holes.
Drumoig’s Connor Syme is one over par after a first round 73 but Bradley Neil of Blairgowrie toiled to a six-over 78.
Aberdonian Richie Ramsay and Marc Warren joined Syme on the one-over mark, while former Open champion Paul Lawrie is three-over.
Grant Forrest is one further back, while Scott Jamieson, with a 77 and David Drysdale, who carded an 80, both had a round to forget.