Nienaber, who has gained notoriety for being among the longest hitters in the sport, had a difficult decision to make this week. He could've played the Portugal Masters, in which he was 14th last year, and had he gone close he'd have perhaps sealed full European Tour status for the 2022 season.
The other option was to return to the Challenge Tour for the first time since May, and his decision to do so looks the right one. Nienaber is 24th in the Road to Mallorca rankings, and the top 20 at the end of this week will gain European Tour status. He's there thanks to victory in the Dimension Data Pro-Am back in the spring and would've surely sailed through had he focused on the second tier rather than take opportunities earned at a higher level.
It's 10 years since Hoey won the Dunhill Links, the pick of seven professional titles, and he's best by the coast: he's shown as much not only there, but in Madiera and Morocco, too.
Hoey was an excellent 25th back at the Dunhill Links three starts ago and it's absolutely not a coincidence that his best effort of the campaign came when 11-under was enough to win the B-NL Challenge Trophy in the Netherlands, where he was part of a play-off. That was also the winning score here last year and conditions look set to be tougher.
He needs a massive week to get back on the European Tour but will know that wind and rain increase his prospects. There are others who are in a similar boat, the likes of Matteo Manassero, Daan Huizing and Stuart Manley among them, but it's Hoey who looks the best alternative to Nienaber.
Posted at 1145 GMT on 01/11/21
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