Michael Hoey has joined the legends of Irish golf after his win in the British Amateur Championship on Saturday.

Immortals Joe Carr, Jimmy Bruen and Garth McGimpsey all won the Championship in their day, but Hoey could now go on to even greater things as a professional.

The wiry youngster showed he's as tough as nails with nail-biting wins over the best amateurs in the world under the greatest pressure.

And now he's ready to go on and take on the big boys in the professional game ­ but not just yet. Victory over Ian Campbell on the 36th green at Prestwick on Saturday means that Hoey has matched those Irish greats by taking amateur golf's greatest prize.

But Hoey's not about to rest on his laurels, despite a win that guarantees him a place in the Open Championship at Royal Lytham next month and at next year's Masters in Augusta.

Said the Shandon Park lad: "I still can't believe I'll be playing in the Open and the Masters. It seems almost ridiculous to imagine myself playing in those championships but I don't want to go and just make up the numbers and be just another name.

"I will be setting myself a few goals and that means making the cut first of all. I don't care who I play with because they're all great players in these Championships.

"All I want to do is play as well as I can play and not just go out there to make up the field." Hoey hade planned to turn professional in the autumn with a trip to the European Tour qualifying school but those plans have been put on hold by his one hole victory over Welshman Ian Campbell at historic Prestwick.

"I'll wait until after the Masters to turn pro. Otherwise the August National Club would take back the invitation I think," he said. "There's no problem there because I hope to get a lot of invitations in professional events over the next few weeks and get some experience under my belt."

It won't be Hoey's first appearance at the hallowed Georgia course. "I played a round there when I was at Clemson University in 1999. The golf teams was invited too play by a member and I shot in the mid-seventies, not playing that great.

"But it was in May, just after the Masters so it was tricky and the greens were about 10 on the stimpmeter, just a bit slower than the tournament." But while the Masters invitation is a huge bonus, Hoey is really looking forward to the Open at Lytham.

"Being from Britain the Open is our national championship and I'm really looking forward to it because I love Lytham, and I've played there five or six times."

Winning at Prestwick has erased the memory of some early season disappointments. Beaten by Michael McDermott in the final of the West of Ireland championship in April and by Richard Walker in a play-off for the Irish Amateur Open just last month, Hoey had to play an incredible 172 holes of golf before he lifted the famous trophy at Prestwick on Saturday.

Dad Brian, a former Irish champion, made a last minute dash to Scotland on the morning of the final and only arrived as his son was playing the 10th hole of the 36-hole final.

"It was an emotional time," said Hoey senior, a beaten semi-finalist when the championship was held at Royal County Down 31 years ago. "No tears were shed, but we came close."

Hoey had to come through two rounds of strokeplay qualifying around the Prestwick and Barassie course before making it into the matchplay draw. But he could never have imagined the marathon matches that awaited him, including a 25 hole semi-final battle with championship favourite Simon Mackenzie.

"I'm really pleased to have won so many tight matches. I just had to be tougher than the other guy and I holed all the important putts at the vital moments." Hoey's odyssey started with a 24th hole win over Swede Niklas Bruzelius in the first round, keeping the match alive with a must-make 35 footer on the 19th before clinching the match at the 6th extra hole by stitching his approach.

In the next round he beat England Boys International Daniel Wardrop 2 and 1 before coming back from the dead against David Skinns in the last 16 as the Englishman hit two balls out of bounds at the last after Hoey had cut his shot back into the wind to put the pressure on his opponent.

In the quarter final he hit a hat-trick of birdies from the 14th to beat favourite and Walker Cup certainty Steve O'Hara 3 and 2 before that 25 hole battle with Mackenzie.

Two down with four to play Hoey bounced back to take the match into extra time, and after halving he first six holes in par Hoey eventually took his place in the final with a seventh pars on the trot as Mackenzie bogeyed. The final with Campbell was a tense affair with Hoey going one up at the 35th hole with a sliding five footer from left to right.

The Welshman lipped out with a five-foot birdie effort at the last that would have taken the game into extra holes. "I did feel sorry for Ian," said Hoey yesterday.

"I know him from the Walker Cup squad but it's great to have won and I still can't believe it." A dream pairing with Tiger Woods in next year's Masters would be a fitting end to Hoey's amateur career but the youngster is not worried about who he plays with.

Said the Shandon Park man: "I think Mikko Illonen played with Tiger at the Masters this year but I'd be happy just to get a practice round with him. As I say, it doesn't matter who I'm paired with because they're all great players."

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© Brian Keogh 2001

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