Michael Hoey had to wait to claim his first European Tour win

Michael Hoey's maiden European win in Portugal was a long-awaited success for the 30-year-old from Belfast.

As reigning British Amateur Champion, he had played alongside Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald and Nick Dougherty in a 2001 Walker Cup win.

And great things were expected of the exciting prospect from the Shandon Park club in Belfast when he produced an eye-catching performance in the US Masters the following year.

But for a bogey at the 17th hole of his second round he would have become the first British amateur to survive the halfway cut at Augusta National since Peter McEvoy in 1978.

However, while many of his Walker Cup pals went on to senior professional glory, Hoey struggled to make a big-time breakthrough.

Now, though, the 30-year-old is celebrating his first win on the European Tour.

Five behind and down in a tie for 19th with 18 holes to go in the Estoril Portuguese Open at Oitavos Dunes on Sunday, Hoey charged through the field with a joint best-of-the-day 66.

He then had a long wait to see if his seven under par total was good enough, but of the 18 players who started the day ahead of him only Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano could match him.

Michael Hoey kisses the trophy after his Portugal win

That meant a play-off and Hoey, ranked 273rd in the world against his opponent's 84th, won it at the third extra hole to claim a victory which propelled him up 125 places to 148th in the world rankings.

Having made six trips to the qualifying school since he turned professional and having had to wait until last November to be successful at it, no wonder a two-year Tour exemption meant so much.

"I did not really think about winning when I teed off, but I was lucky - I got all the breaks," he said.

"I tried not to think about winning as I stood over that last putt. It is amazing really.

"It has been tough. I havve been grinding on the Challenge Tour, but coming through the qualifying school gave me confidence and so did my sixth place in Madeira two weeks ago.

"There are so many people to thank - my family, my coach, my sports psychologist, all my sponsors," he added.

"I have always felt I had the talent - it was just about keeping interferences at bay."

He hopes, of course, it is just the start. McDowell and Rory McIlroy are the two Northern Irishman at the 2009 Masters, but maybe Hoey will make it back there in the future.

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