Michael Hoey ready to deliver in new role as referee

One of the many impacts of the pandemic on golfer Michael Hoey was, for a time at least, a change in profession.

After 18 years as a professional golfer, that yielded five European Tour wins and was preceded by the Irish Amateur Championship in 1998 and the British Amateur Championship three years later, Hoey had time for reflection.

A career that peaked in 2011 and 2012 and a world ranking as high as 74, the last five years had been more of a grind for the Ballymoney native, struggling to make any headway on the Challenge Tour.

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Covid's impact on the sport, with the cancellation of Q School, allowed Hoey greater time to consider what the future held away from the course. In the short-term, he went for something radically different, a heavy-lifting job with global couriers DHL.

Part of it came down to simple economics with a young family, the other aspect was the mental challenge for the 43-year-old.

"I always thought a job like that was going to be incredibly difficult and that I would absolutely hate it," he told Greg Allen on RTÉ's Saturday Sport.

"I really surprised myself and enjoyed it. Every day I finished there was a feeling of satisfaction that even the most basic tasks in the world, I did it well.

"I took pride in doing the job the right way. I’m the kind of person who struggled to be self-employed, I struggled being my own boss, making tough decisions all the time myself. I think I’m more suited to a team environment and working for a company."

With more time on his hands