GOLF/ USA Tour: Todd Hamilton birdied the final two holes to hold off a late Davis Love III charge and win the Honda Classic at Mirasol Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, yesterday.

Hamilton's final round of 74 gave him a 12-under-par total of 276.

Love, six shots back at the start of the day, fired a three under par 69 and set the clubhouse target of 11-under-par 277.

Hamilton, however, was finding the going tough as he went out in three over par 39 but held his nerve on the run-in to birdie the 17th and 18th for a one shot victory.

Meanwhile, Michael Hoey produced a brilliant final round seven under par 66 to climb 14 places on the leaderboard and secure fourth place at the Zambia Open on the European Challenge Tour. The Belfast man started the final round at the Lusaka Golf Club in a tie for 18th position on four under par. He picked up a birdie at the second hole but gave it straight back with a bogey five at the third.

The 25-year-old steadied the ship with two straight pars before embarking on a run of seven birdies in 13 holes to sail up the leaderboard and into fourth place, picking up a cheque for €6,600. South African Michael Kirk took the title with an 18 under par total of 274.

This was Hoey's first event on the 2004 Challenge Tour, and his superb finish propelled him into 13th place on the Challenge Tour Rankings.

The top 15 players on the rankings at the end of the season win a place on The European Tour in 2005.