Three birdies in the last four holes at the home of golf for a closing round of four-under-par 68 and a 22-under 266 four-round total, earned Hoey a two-shot victory over US Open champion McIlroy.

Hoey needed a battling comeback as McIlroy turned on the sort of display that won him the Congressional major in June, producing a spectacular final round 65.

McIlroy began the day five strokes adrift of Hoey but his first nine holes to six-under 30, including an eagle-two with a 90-yard pitch-in on the third, took him past the overnight leader.

Hoey trailed McIlroy right up the to the 15th, due to missed birdie putts of four and three feet on the 11th and 14th but the lesser-known Ulsterman refused to bow.

When Hoey speared in a stunning approach to less than a foot on the 16th he moved back to the top of the leaderboard and a birdie on the last extended his victory margin.

It was by far the 2001 British Amateur champion’s best success of three European Tour titles, this one worth $800,000.

Northern Ireland’s current remarkable golden run included a third place for 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell (69), who finished four strokes behind Hoey with Scot George Murray (67).
 

In Singapore, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama retained his Asian Amateur Championships crown at the Singapore Island Country Club on Sunday to secure a berth at the US Masters for a second year in a row.

The 19-year-old from Ehime shot a five-under-par final round 67 to finish one shot ahead of Korea’s Lee Soo-min on 18-under, with both players receiving invitations to the final round of international qualifying for next year’s British Open.

Matsuyama finished alongside Phil Mickelson in a tie for 27th at the Masters earlier this year as he won the Silver Cup awarded to the leading amateur.

“It was extra pressure for me and its something I’ve never been through before,” Matsuyama told reporters at a press conference following his victory.

“I think it is because I wanted so badly to go back to play Augusta again, so I think that’s why the pressure was there but I am happy that I managed to get over it.

“Now that I am able to play again next year, I will try to study for one more year and figure out what I need to work on up until the Masters.

“I will try to keep training and practicing a lot,” he added.