Publications
Partners
Moscow - Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey returned to form after a quiet spell with a resounding four-stroke victory in the Russian Open after a final round of 70 at Moscow's Tseleevo Golf and Polo Club on Sunday.
Hoey set up his fifth European Tour victory with Saturday's decisive seven under par round of 65, to leave him five shots clear overnight.
The 34-year-old, who had missed seven of his last ten cuts, finished with a 16-under par total of 272.
Last year's winner Alexandre Kaleka of France and Englishman Matthew Nixon were the closest challengers, finishing on 12 under, with Joachim Hansen of Denmark one shot further back in fourth.
Hoey told europeantour.com: "I have absolutely loved the golf course this week.
"The putting was the key for me. I have been working hard on that a lot recently and the improvement is really showing because I was making a lot of birdies.
"That is the main difference at this level. You have to be able to make a lot of putts because the standard is so high these days that it usually comes down to who makes the most putts.
"It's pretty amazing to think that I have won five European Tour titles.
"It is a great feeling to win and every time you do it you just want more and more. Hopefully I can get at least another one before the end of the season.
"It has given me a great boost. I am not the most consistent player in the world but when I get into these positions I usually do okay."
Hoey dropped just one shot throughout the day, at the 12th, and his lead was cut to two by Kaleka and Dane JB Hansen.
But a birdie at the 17th steadied nerves and Kaleka (bogey) and Hansen (double bogey) both dropped strokes at the last to card 68s.
China's Liang Wen-chong, Frenchman Gregory Havret and English duo James Morrison and Mark Foster finished in a tie for fifth on 10 under.
Leading and selected final round scores in the European Tour Russian Open at the Tseleevo Golf and Polo Club on Sunday (GBR/IRL unless stated, par 72):
272 - Michael Hoey 70 67 65 70
276 - Matthew Nixon 69 70 68 69, Alexandre Kaleka (FRA) 70 67 71 68
277 - Joachim B Hansen (DEN) 72 70 67 68
278 - Mark Foster 69 69 72 68, James Morrison 68 71 70 69, Gregory Havret (FRA) 72 70 70 66, Liang Wen-Chong (CHN) 67 70 75 66
280 - Simon Dyson 67 74 71 68
282 - Mikko Korhonen (FIN) 69 70 70 73, Matthew Baldwin 68 69 73 72, Alexander Levy (FRA) 72 72 71 67
283 - Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (FRA) 70 71 70 72, Magnus A Carlsson (SWE) 71 72 69 71, Andreas Harto (DEN) 70 71 76 66, Rikard Karlberg (SWE) 67 68 72 76
284 - Richard Finch 73 74 69 68, Joakim Lagergren (SWE) 74 74 68 68, David Horsey 70 72 71 71, Richard McEvoy 74 71 69 70, Matteo Delpodio (ITA) 69 74 69 72, Sam Little 69 72 74 69, Chris Paisley 72 71 68 73
285 - Joel Sjoholm (SWE) 78 69 70 68, Michael Campbell (NZL) 70 73 72 70, Jorge Campillo (ESP) 72 71 67 75, Maarten Lafeber (NED) 69 73 71 72, Terry Pilkadaris (AUS) 71 71 70 73, Oscar Floren (SWE) 76 69 66 74
Selected:
286 - Scott Hend (AUS) 70 69 74 73, Jake Roos (RSA) 70 71 74 72, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (IND) 72 72 72 71
288 - Prom Meesawat (THA) 71 74 73 70, James Kingston (RSA) 71 69 68 80
289 - Jeev Milkha Singh (IND) 71 71 72 75
290 - Daniel Gaunt (AUS) 70 72 73 75, Haydn Porteous (RSA) 71 76 70 73
292 - Tjaart Van Der Walt (RSA) 73 71 76 72, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 78 70 76 68
293 - Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND) 74 73 69 77
295 - Oliver Bekker (RSA) 74 71 74 76
Hoey set up his fifth European Tour victory with Saturday's decisive seven under par round of 65, to leave him five shots clear overnight.
The 34-year-old, who had missed seven of his last ten cuts, finished with a 16-under par total of 272.
Last year's winner Alexandre Kaleka of France and Englishman Matthew Nixon were the closest challengers, finishing on 12 under, with Joachim Hansen of Denmark one shot further back in fourth.
Hoey told europeantour.com: "I have absolutely loved the golf course this week.
"The putting was the key for me. I have been working hard on that a lot recently and the improvement is really showing because I was making a lot of birdies.
"That is the main difference at this level. You have to be able to make a lot of putts because the standard is so high these days that it usually comes down to who makes the most putts.
"It's pretty amazing to think that I have won five European Tour titles.
"It is a great feeling to win and every time you do it you just want more and more. Hopefully I can get at least another one before the end of the season.
"It has given me a great boost. I am not the most consistent player in the world but when I get into these positions I usually do okay."
Hoey dropped just one shot throughout the day, at the 12th, and his lead was cut to two by Kaleka and Dane JB Hansen.
But a birdie at the 17th steadied nerves and Kaleka (bogey) and Hansen (double bogey) both dropped strokes at the last to card 68s.
China's Liang Wen-chong, Frenchman Gregory Havret and English duo James Morrison and Mark Foster finished in a tie for fifth on 10 under.
Leading and selected final round scores in the European Tour Russian Open at the Tseleevo Golf and Polo Club on Sunday (GBR/IRL unless stated, par 72):
272 - Michael Hoey 70 67 65 70
276 - Matthew Nixon 69 70 68 69, Alexandre Kaleka (FRA) 70 67 71 68
277 - Joachim B Hansen (DEN) 72 70 67 68
278 - Mark Foster 69 69 72 68, James Morrison 68 71 70 69, Gregory Havret (FRA) 72 70 70 66, Liang Wen-Chong (CHN) 67 70 75 66
280 - Simon Dyson 67 74 71 68
282 - Mikko Korhonen (FIN) 69 70 70 73, Matthew Baldwin 68 69 73 72, Alexander Levy (FRA) 72 72 71 67
283 - Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (FRA) 70 71 70 72, Magnus A Carlsson (SWE) 71 72 69 71, Andreas Harto (DEN) 70 71 76 66, Rikard Karlberg (SWE) 67 68 72 76
284 - Richard Finch 73 74 69 68, Joakim Lagergren (SWE) 74 74 68 68, David Horsey 70 72 71 71, Richard McEvoy 74 71 69 70, Matteo Delpodio (ITA) 69 74 69 72, Sam Little 69 72 74 69, Chris Paisley 72 71 68 73
285 - Joel Sjoholm (SWE) 78 69 70 68, Michael Campbell (NZL) 70 73 72 70, Jorge Campillo (ESP) 72 71 67 75, Maarten Lafeber (NED) 69 73 71 72, Terry Pilkadaris (AUS) 71 71 70 73, Oscar Floren (SWE) 76 69 66 74
Selected:
286 - Scott Hend (AUS) 70 69 74 73, Jake Roos (RSA) 70 71 74 72, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (IND) 72 72 72 71
288 - Prom Meesawat (THA) 71 74 73 70, James Kingston (RSA) 71 69 68 80
289 - Jeev Milkha Singh (IND) 71 71 72 75
290 - Daniel Gaunt (AUS) 70 72 73 75, Haydn Porteous (RSA) 71 76 70 73
292 - Tjaart Van Der Walt (RSA) 73 71 76 72, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 78 70 76 68
293 - Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND) 74 73 69 77
295 - Oliver Bekker (RSA) 74 71 74 76
