Hoey still in a share of the lead

MICHAEL HOEY shot his second 66 of the week, this time at Kingsbarns yesterday, to remain in a share of the lead at the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. The Ulsterman is 12-under-par alongside 20-year-old Englishman Tommy Fleetwood.

Hoey, who still has the more difficult Carnoustie to negotiate, began on the back nine at Kingsbarns and was four under by the time he made the turn after birdies at 10, 12, 15 and 18.

His only bogey of the day came at the second but he immediately bounced back at the next and added two more for 34 on the way in.

“I’ve always enjoyed this pro-am format,” the 32-year-old said. “A couple of years ago I was tied for the lead after two rounds. It’s slow, but it really takes your mind off stuff between shots.”

Fleetwood is on target to complete one of the most unlikely doubles in golf. The youngster won the Kazakhstan Open earlier this month, with the first prize taking him top of the European Challenge Tour rankings and securing his place on the main tour for 2012.

But the 20-year-old can win almost 10 times that amount with victory at St Andrews on Sunday after storming into contention with a superb 63 at Kingsbarns.

“It feels pretty good,” Fleetwood said. “It’s pretty unexpected to be honest. Just to get the invite and the experience of playing here is great. I didn’t hit it very well yesterday but I holed good putts on the first three or four holes today and didn’t really look back. I learn every time I play at the moment.

“The last couple of weeks I’ve had no pressure on me really. I know where I’m playing next year, which is great, and it’s definitely given me confidence because there was a bit of thought of ‘Can I win?’ because I had been in there so many times. I finally got it done, so let’s see if I can do it on the bigger stage now.”

Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, who lifted the Claret Jug at St Andrews in 2010, is one off the lead after adding a 67 at Carnoustie to his opening 66 at Kingsbarns.

However, Oosthuizen will have his work cut out if he is to go on to victory, with 25 players within five shots of the lead going into the final two rounds.

Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell completed a second consecutive 67 to lie two shots back on 10 under, alongside Australian Daniel Gaunt, Scotland’s Marc Warren, Austria’s Markus Brier and South African Jaco van Zyl.

Defending champion Martin Kaymer (67) is a shot further behind after dropping two shots in his last three holes at Carnoustie, with Lee Westwood, US Open champion Rory McIlroy and former amateur star Tom Lewis all on seven under.

Westwood also endured a disappointing finish at Carnoustie, dropping shots at the 17th and 18th in his round of 69, while McIlroy drove into the Barry Burn on the 17th to drop his only shot of the day in a 67.

Pádraig Harrington shot a 71 at Carnoustie, the scene of his British Open triumph in 2007, to finish five under, while world number one Donald and his 2010 Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie were on four under.

Donald, attempting to become the first man to top the money list on both sides of the Atlantic in the same season, looked set to be in contention until dropping four shots in the last four holes, including driving into the Barry Burn on the 18th to run up a double-bogey six.