PORTUGAL HAS been a happy hunting ground of late for Michael Hoey. Two weeks after he finished sixth in Madeira the former British Amateur champion shot an opening 66 to lie second and just two shots off Ross McGowan’s first round lead at the €1.25 million Estoril Portuguese Open.

Hoey was in the half of the draw that started yesterday’s first round from the eighth at the Oitavos Dunes layout in Cascais. After opening with three straight pars he played the next eight holes without recording a single par.

The 30-year-old mixed two bogeys – 14th and 17th – with five birdies and an eagle at the par-five 16th to turn in just 30 strokes (five-under).

This year’s Qualifying School graduate had a more sedate finish to his round with a further birdie at the third before his third dropped shot of the day came at the sixth, his penultimate hole, after he pulled his approach.

Of the six other Irish players in the field only Paul McGinley managed to break par, but his one-under 70 was still well off the pace. Gary Murphy was two shots further back on one-over, one better than Damien McGrane and Peter Lawrie. Gareth Maybin (74) was next on three-over, one ahead of Jonathan Caldwell (75).

Hoey put his first round success down to his handling of the blustery conditions.

“That was typical Irish weather,” quipped Hoey, who picked up his biggest cheque (€24,500) of the season on the European Tour when sixth at the Madeira Islands BPI-Portugal a fortnight ago.

“I’ve been playing well the last few months, I’m just trying to keep a decent tempo to the swing and keep it simple and Madeira was a boost to my confidence.”

That said he missed the cut in last week’s Andalucia Open in Seville and was thankful of the chance to recuperate back home.

“I picked up a bit of a cold there (in Seville) and didn’t really feel with it last week, so I went home and I feel strong again now,” added Hoey. “Those decisions are almost more important than the ones you make with your game.”

Yesterday’s round left the Belfast pro alone in second, behind McGowan, whose seven-under round included eight birdies and a solitary dropped shot at the fifth.

In shooting 64, the Surrey pro equalled the low round of his career and he will want to go on and erase memories of a minor collapse when in contention earlier in the season.

In February, the 26-year-old led the Johnnie Walker Championship by two shots with five to play. While he bogeyed the 14th and 16th, New Zealand amateur Danny Lee birdied four of the last six to win by one to become the youngest winner on tour (18 years 213 days).

“I’m very happy with that. I made a few birdies and generally hit the ball well and took my chances when they came,” said McGowan after yesterday’s round.

“I was hitting it fairly close and knocked it on (the greens) under regulation on a few holes and had a few birdies and a few other nice shots to within six feet.

“I played steady and my control was good, especially into the wind. On another day I might have been struggling but down wind I was knocking it on the green and taking my putts and moving on.”

It wasn’t a happy return to the main tour for 55-year-old Sam Torrance, who extended his record number of appearances to 705 this week. Playing on a sponsor’s invite after winning the Barbados Open on the Senior Tour two weeks ago, the former Ryder Cup captain made the worst possible start with a triple bogey at the eighth, his first. It didn’t get much better as he signed for a four-over 75.