Hot-head Michael Hoey knows just why he's missed five cuts out of six as a pro ­ he's too impatient.

Since he turned professional after his US Masters appearance in April, the 23-year-old Belfast wonderboy has found life tough on tour.

He has made just one cheque by finishing tied for 32nd in the Benson & Hedges International Open at the Belfry in early May, earning a tidy ¤12,952.

Now the flame-haired Ulster star is under pressure to perform in front of the home fans in next week's Murphys Irish Open at Fota Island.

But the player is aware of his problem and feels he has everything under control.

He admitted: "My temperament is not as relaxed as it should be sometimes. On the outside I look cool, but I actually get a bit hot under the collar. I maybe don't look like it but I sometimes get a bit steamed up.

"I feel if I make the cut I'm going to improve and climb up the leaderboard but it's so frustrating when you miss it by one and I've missed a couple like that.

"My problem has been that I have been trying to force a score for the last five tournaments. They weren't quite as bad as they looked because when I came back from the Memorial Tournament my first round at the British Masters was plus two, which wasn't that bad.

"I knew that the cut was going to be around even par. I was hitting the ball well in round two but a couple of putts didn't drop and then I started going for everything to try and make the cut.

"I went for a couple of pins, ended up bogeying a couple and basically I was six shots away from the cut and I knew I couldn't make it and it just escalated from there."

But Hoey feels that he has the key to making a challenge at the Cork venue next Thursday.

He explained: "I think it's about handling myself. It's not so much nerves but just trying to be a bit more patient on the course. I think there's also a bit of strategy involved too and I've told my caddie to watch out the next time I start shooting at pins and he's learning my game bit better with every tournament.

"I play my best when I am easing into the round and accepting pars. There's really nothing wrong with my game and I'm just looking forward to the Murphys Irish Open."

Hoey started the season in South Africa and finished 52nd in the Bell's South African Open before missing the cut in the dunhill championship.

But he showed his class and took advantage of an invitation to the Dubai Desert Classic where he finished tied for twelfth.

He then missed the cut in the Qatar Masters and the Masters Tournament before turning professional.

His first event was the Tessali Open in Italy but blamed his failure to make a cheque on low blood pressure and travel fatigue.

He was back to his best in the Benson & Hedges International Open before the rot set in again with those three missed cuts in a row in the Victor Chandler British Masters, the Memorial Tournament in the US and the Compass Group English Open, where he retired with a bad wrist in the second round.

A fan of US golf guru Bob Rotella, Hoey has turned to book to help him find the key that will allow him to relax and play to his full potential.

But he has also realised that there is nothing like a couple of weeks off to recharge your batteries.

"Perhaps six tournaments in a row was too many but I've enjoyed these three weeks off and I enjoy getting up to Castlerock on the northern coast," he said.

"There's no one around, I can do a bit of practice up there away from the people and run on the beach and relax.

"I'm still not discouraged at all. I'm not far away from being where I want to be. If I wasn't striking the ball well I'd be worried but I think that all I need to do is just relax."

With another invitation in the bag for the big money Smurfit European Open at the K Club in two weeks' time, Hoey still has a chance to turn his talent into cash and climb that Order of Merit.

Irish brigade
Watch out. The Irish are coming.

Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington will lead a 20-strong Irish contingent at next week's Murphys Irish Open.

No Irishman has won the title since John O'Leary in 1982 but there is no shortage of challengers.

Paul McGinley, Des Smyth, Eamonn Darcy, David Higgins, Philip Walton, Ronan Rafferty, Michael Hoey, Graeme McDowell and US Tour member Richie Coughlan also taking part.

So too are domestic tour pros John Dwyer, John Dignam, David Walker, Francis Howley, Stephen Hamill, Michael Allan and Damian Mooney as well as amateurs Noel Fox of Portmarnock and Athlone's Colm Moriarty.

Conor
Winning titles is no guarantee of success. Just ask Conor Doran.

The Banbridge kid won the Leinster Youths title recently but still didn't make the Irish Youths side for the European Team Championship in Poland next month.

It was a double blow for Doran, as he missed the cut in the Irish Close and heard the news that he was only first reserve for the trip to Gdansk as he posted his card.

Justin
Birr sensation Justin Kehoe crashed out of the Irish Close in midweek but got an immediate boost.

The 22 year old was named in the 2002 Great Britain and Ireland Palmer Cup team for the showdown with the US college stars at Doonbeg in Co Clare from 11- 12 July.

Kehoe played in the 2001 Palmer Cup at Baltusrol alongside new professional Graeme McDowell.

Walton
Ryder Cup hero Philip Walton will play in next week's Murphys Irish Open.

The man who won the Ryder Cup for Europe at Oak Hill in 1995 has received a sponsor's invitation.

Walton was not originally invited but the popular 40-year-old Dubliner is a sure crowd puller.

He will also join Nick Faldo in the Smurfit European Open at the K Club the following week.

Sweet 16
Sweet 16 year olds, Sinead O' Sullivan and Tara Delaney will represent Ireland in the European Young Masters at Augsburg Golf Club in Germany, from 25 - 27 July.

O'Sullivan from Galway and Delaney from Carlow both play off five handicaps and were born within one day of each other, sixteen years ago.

Tara recently came third in the prestigious Hermitage Scratch Cup and was a semi finalist in the Munster Ladies' Championship in Youghal last April.

Waterford's Kevin Kinsella and Cian McNamara of Limerick have also been picked to play.

McNamara will play in the Junior British Open at Musselburgh from 15-16 July.

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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