Michael Hoey believes another year on the Challenge Tour will make him as a player.

The former Walker Cup ace and British Amateur champion wants to grab his tour card in style next season.

And he has no regrets about missing his card at the tour school finals by just ONE shot.

In his first three events on the 2005 Challenge Tour schedule, Hoey has finished 17th, third and second to jump to third in the money list.

If he remains in the top 15 he will join old pal Graeme McDowell in the big league for 2006.

He said: “That’s where the serious money is and Graeme has done very well so far. But I am not too disappointed that I didn’t make it through the tour school.

“Yes, I would have liked to have finished 20th like Stephen Browne but finishing 35th and getting the last card wouldn’t have done a lot for me.

“I would be struggling to get into events on the main tour whereas on the Challenge Tour I know I can go out and play every week and try and get my card that way.”

Hoey finished 44th on the Challenge Tour last year, well short of the top 15 who get their tour cards.

And he confessed that he probably had no right to expect to on to the main tour just yet.

He said: “My game wasn’t good enough last year. In my opinion, if you don’t finish in the top 15 on the Challenge Tour you game isn’t good enough for the European Tour.

“But I have made a good start to the new season and I’ve got a great opportunity now to get on the European Tour.

“Unless you finish in the top ten you don’t get much out of the Q School. But my putting is much better now and I am pretty confident that I can hang in there next year and maybe win an event or two.”

Putting has been Hoey’s cross in recent years but a change from the belly putter to the orthodox short putter has worked wonders for his confidence.

He has worked with sports psychologist Mark Elliott to improve his self-belief and with the help of David Leadbetter qualified coach Andrew Nicholson he believes he is on the right track.

He added: “Mark has helped me believe in myself more on the course, which is a big factor. And if you are putting well and you believe in yourself you are going to do well.

“I have changed my stroke a little but as well and I will stick with the short putter now because you can’t be messing about.

“I was going to go and see Dave Pelz bur the putting course he was offering cost a lot of money so I decided to stick with my swing coach who is also a very good putting coach.”

Money is not a major motivating factor for Hoey right now. He has already picked up €24,728 from the Challenge Tour’s visit to Mexico, Panama and Peru and only needs another €40,000 to be sure of grabbing one of those top 15 spots.

With the likes of David Higgins, Colm Moriarty, Tim Rice and Raymie Burns also on the Challenge Tour, Hoey will not be short of company as he roams the continent in the new year.

He said: “There are more Irish guys and there is more ‘craic’. Last year there was just two of us. But this year there are five of us and we have more craic. I room with Timmy Rice as well and it makes a big difference.”

Managed by Jamie Cunningham at Professional Sports Partnerships, Hoey admits that he could do with more sponsorship.

He added: “Obviously the Team Ireland grant has been a big help but I am looking for a bit more support so I can play all the events.

“In Central America they took quite a lot of tax from me when I was leaving but I will be happy as long as I have enough money to play all the tournaments.”

Thanks to his fast start to the season, Hoey is considering a trip to South Africa for the South African Airways Open early in the new year. before heading back to South America for three more Challenge Tour events.

If he continues to use the short stick with confidence, a European Tour reunion with McDowell could well be on the cards.

(Irish PGA)
The Irish PGA Championship looks set to be held at PGA National at Palmerstown House next September.

Irish PGA bosses are already sounding out top players such as reigning champion Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell.

The ideal date looks to be September 1 - 4, when the European Tour visits Switzerland for the Omega European Masters.

(Dr Bob)
Padraig Harrington believes mind guru Dr Bob Rotella helped save his season.

The world No 6 sat down with the American psychologist in Cologne the week after missing the cut in the BMW International in August and promptly won the event.

He said: “Since then I have hardly put a foot wrong. I sat down with Bob and had a chat and he explained the difference between having confidence in your swing and just being self-confident.

“If I hit a bad shot, well that’s just me. It is all about accepting the bad shots and being confident that you can recover from them.”

(Awards)

Ireland’s top courses are scooping major awards for excellence.

Druids Glen has been voted European Golf Resort of the Year by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators - beating off competition from the likes of the K Club, Celtic Manor, Gleneagles and Turnberry.

Meanwhile, the Montgomerie Course at Carton House Golf Club, venue for the 2005 Nissan Irish Open, has received the “Best New Design of the Year 2004” award from Golf World magazine.

(Betting)

Fancy a flutter on major golf in 2005?

Tiger Woods is rated evens to lift one of the four majors but Ireland’s Padraig Harrington is rated the best value for money at 7-1.

The Open will be held at St Andrews, where he was 20th in 2000 and won the Dunhill Links title in a play-off in 2002.

He has also been fifth in the US Open and the Masters in recent years and with first time winners taking six of the last eight Majors, this could be his year.

Apart from Woods, only Vijay Singh (6/4), Ernie Els (2/1), Phil Mickelson (7/2), Retief Goosen (4/1) and Sergio Garcia (5/1) are considered more likely to win a major.

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© Brian Keogh 2003

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