Hoey defies McIlroy, McDowell to win Dunhill

Michael Hoey held off fellow Northern Irishmen Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship by two shots on Sunday.

Hoey, who began the week at 271 in the world rankings, carded a final round of 68 for a 22-under-par total of 266 to claim his second European Tour title of the season.

The 32-year-old from Ballymoney had also won the Madeira Open, having clinched his first tour title in 2009 at Estoril.

McIlroy, the US Open champion, finished with a 65, with McDowell, the 2010 US Open winner, sharing third alongside Scotland's George Murray a further two strokes back.