Inspired Foley sets blistering Lahinch pace with 64
A little inspiration goes a long way and Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley admitted that caddying for the winner of the North motivated him to card an opening 64 in the first qualifying round for the Pierse Motors VW sponsored South of Ireland Amateur Championship at Lahinch.
The 22-year-old Dubliner shares a coach with Chelmsford’s Arron Edwards-Hill and after missing the cut at Portstewart, he took the bag for his friend and saw him cruise to victory.
It was similar plain sailing for Foley yesterday, as he got the best of the early conditions and made eight birdies in the in the lowest round of his career to lead by two shots from Rosslare’s Paul Murphy.
“I’ve never gone past the second round here but it's the best round I've shot anywhere, recreationally or competitively,” said Foley, a full-time golfer, whose previous best was a 66 as an amateur entrant on the Evolve Pro Tour in Spain over the winter.
“It was great. I was feeling a little ill this morning and I was distracted about that and not thinking about my score.
“I am working with Geoff Loughrey in Roganstown and as he also works with Arron, I caddied for him for the whole matchplay in the North after missing the cut and he made it look easy.”
The five Irish players named in the initial Walker Cup squad earlier this year were given byes into tomorrow’s matchplay draw.
But Foley is determined to lead the 59 qualifiers today before he has to deal with the likes of Amateur champion James Sugrue from Mallow, Kilkenny’s Mark Power, Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell, Kinsale’s John Murphy or the title holder, Caolan Rafferty from Dundalk.
“I drove it well and putted well,” said Foley, who hit 16 greens in regulation. “It was stress-free.
“I had a lucky break. I was out at half nine and it was only a one-club wind most of the day”
Foley two putted for his birdie at the Klondyke, hit an eight iron to 10 feet at the Dell and tapped in from three feet for another two at the eighth to go out in 33.
A 25 footer at the 11th gave him his third two of the day and after hitting a seven iron stone dead at the 14th, he made an eight footer for his sixth birdie at the 15th before making finishing two birdie for a homeward 31.
US collegiate golfer Murphy also went bogey-free for his 66 as Monkstown’s Sean Desmond, Castleknock’s Paul Coughlan, The Island’s Rhys Clarke and Galway’s Cathal Nolan shot 67s.
Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe, who lost to Edwards-Hill in the final of the North, posted a 68 to share seventh place while two-time runner-up. Hermitage’s Rowan Lester, was joint 13th after a 70.
18th South of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Pierse Motors Volkswagen
Lahinch GC (Old, Par 72)
First round
64 H Foley (The Royal Dublin);
66 P Murphy (Rosslare);
67 S Desmond (Monkstown), P Coughlan (Castleknock), R Clarke (The Island), C Nolan (Galway);
68 M Horan (Birr Golf Club), P O'Keeffe (Douglas), D Morley (Oughterard);
69 G Lenehan (Portmarnock), J Rackard (Enniscorthy), H O'Hare (Fortwilliam);
70 J Hewitt (Tandragee), E Griffin (Waterford), T O'Connor (Athlone), G Dunne (Co Louth), A Holé (Biarritz Le Phare ), A Ryan (Thurles), R Lester (Hermitage);
71 P McKeever (Castle), M Young (Golf Du Prieuré, France), J Ryan (Castletroy), R Browne (Castle), J Mc Donnell (Forrest Little), S Hogan (Nenagh), E Leonard (Wentworth England), S Flanagan (Portmarnock ), D Coghlan (Portmarnock), R Mullarney (Galway), L Nolan (Galway), M Boucher (Carton House), C Butler (Kinsale), O O'Brien (Limerick), A Hill (Athenry);
72 T Ford (Co Sligo), E Stack (Ballybunion), K Egan (Carton House), P Conroy (Enniscorthy), B Doran (Baltinglass), R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh), M Buggy (Castlecomer), D O'Sullivan (Tralee), R McKeever (Castle), L Power (Galway), T McLarnon (Massereene), P Buckley (Memorial Golf Club, USA), J Fox (Portmarnock), O Devereux (Carton House), T Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown), G O'Mahony (Fota Island), D Connolly (Olympic, USA), L Grehan (Mullingar);
73 P Tobin (Douglas), J Maginn (Mourne), K Murphy (Dun Laoghaire), J Whelan (Newlands), G O'Flaherty (Cork), A Doran (Co Louth), J Walsh (Castle), R Brazill (Naas);
74 S Walsh (Portmarnock), R Knightly (The Royal Dublin), S Barker (Mourne), M Reddan (Limerick), M Nolan (Dun Laoghaire), S O'Connor (Castlebar), A Hickey (Ballyhaunis), J Greene (Portmarnock), J Temple (Portmarnock), J Rowe (Tandragee), T Dowdall (Woodbrook);
75 K McCormack (Portarlington), R Black (Hilton Templepatrick), D Foy (Laytown & Bettystown), S Downes (The Royal Dublin), R Ward (Nenagh), T Clarke (Royal Portrush), R Moran (Castle), S Muldowney (Shadowridge USA), J Sabir (Moate), D Kitt (Athenry), P Flynn (Tramore), C Vaughan (Limerick), S Dickey (UNM North USA), F O'Sullivan (Tralee), P Murray (Clontarf), C Murtagh (Balcarrick), H Duggan (Kilkenny);
76 N Hearns (Mountrath), R Dutton (Tandragee), E Farrell (Ardee), C Kenny (Portmarnock), A McCormack (Castletroy), J Blake (The Island), D Flynn (Carton House), T Cleary (Woodstock), J Doherty (Carton House), J Hearn (Tramore), C Cunningham (Carton House), P Spratt (West Waterford), G Smyth (Clonmel), C Denvir (Elm Park), B Murray (Waterford Castle), J Kehoe (Limerick), J Lyons (Galway), T O'Mahony (Doneraile ), P Sheehan (Ballybunion);
77 M O'Neill (Coollattin), M McCormack (The Island/Moss Creek), N Schaffrath (GLC Berlin-Wannsee, Germany), G Cullen (The Links Portmarnock), J Hood (Galgorm Castle), C Hickey (Dooks), R O'Connor (Co Sligo), M McKinstry (Cairndhu), D Sweeney (Killeen Castle), R O'Doherty (Enniscrone), M McClean (Malone), M O'Kelly (Limerick);
78 S Poucher (Limerick), T Hackett (Royal Dublin), L O'Connor (Edmondstown), K Bornemann (Douglas), E Smith (The Links Portmarnock), D McMahon (Castletroy), C Ryan (Dun Laoghaire), R Latimer (Knock);
79 C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire), M Healy (Kinsale), K Lynch (Skibbereen), C Taylor (Kanturk), R Pierse (Grange), S Greenberg (Tandragee), R Berkeley (Dun Laoghaire);
80 E O'Brien (Clontarf), T Neenan (Lahinch), J Fletcher (Warrenpoint), G Carr (Mullingar), B Shally (Dromoland);
81 J Bolger (Jnr) (Courtown), M MacGrath (UNM North USA), B Gilligan (Woodstock), J McCarthy (Grange);
82 M Kennelly (Galway Bay), I Lynch (Rosslare), W Taylor (Cape Fear, USA), G Ward (Kinsale), P Fitzpatrick (Kanturk);
83 D Brady (Co Sligo).
Tee-times - July 25
07:00 Aaron Ryan (Thurles), Gary Ward (Kinsale), Paul Conroy (Enniscorthy)
07:10 Eoin O’Brien (Clontarf), Shane O’Connor (Castlebar), Liam Power (Galway)
07:20 Gavin Smyth (Clonmel), David Brady (Co. Sligo), Cathal Nolan (Galway)
07:30 Tony Cleary (Woodstock), Marc McKinstry (Cairndhu, Karl McCormack (Portarlington)
07:40 Fergal O’Sullivan (Tralee), Stephen Barker (Mourne), Rhys Clarke (The Island)
07:50 Ruairi O’Connor (Co. Sligo), Ryan O’Doherty (Enniscrone), Peter Sheehan (Ballybunion)
08:00 Tom Dowdall (Woodbrook), Ciaran Vaughan (Limerick), Ross McKeever (Castle)
08:10 M O’Neill (Coollattin), Brian Shally (Dromoland), Colin Cunningham (Carton House)
08:20 Greg O’Mahony (Fota Island), Tyrone Clarke (Royal Portrush), Ben Murray (Waterford Castle)
08:30 Joe Lyons (Galway), Robert Moran (Castle), Pat Murray (Clontarf)
08:50 Gary O’Flaherty (Cork), Jake Whelan (Newlands), James Fox (Portmarnock)
09:00 Thomas Hackett (Royal Dublin), Sean Flanagan (Portmarnock), Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little)
09:10 John Greene (Portmarnock), Paul Flynn (Tramore), Mark Healy (Kinsale)
09:20 Robert Brazill (Naas), TJ Ford (Co. Sligo), Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle)
09:30 Devin Morley (Oughterard), Marc McCormack (The Island/Moss Creek), Sam Dickey (UNM North USA)
09:40 Eugene Smith (The Links Portmarnock), Shane Muldowney (Shadowridge, USA), Eoin Leonard (Wentworth England)
09:50 Gary Cullen (The Links Portmarnock), Keith Egan (Carton House), Paul Coughlan (Castleknock)
10:00 Ronan Mullarney (Galway), Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene), Rowan Lester (Hermitage)
10:10 James Hewitt (Tandragee), Michael O’Kelly (Limerick), James Maginn (Mourne)
10:20 Shane Hogan (Nenagh), Keith Murphy (Dun Laoghaire), John Bolger Jnr (Courtown)
10:40 Michael Young (Golf Du Prieuré, France), Harry Duggan (Kilkenny), Jack Hearn (Tramore)
10:50 Walker Taylor (Cape Fear, USA), Ian Lynch (Rosslare), Colin Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire)
11:00 Conor Ryan (Dun Laoghaire), Jamal Sabir (Moate), Pat Fitzpatrick (Kanturk)
11:10 Conor Murtagh (Balcarrick), Dean McMahon (Castletroy), Tim O’Mahony (Doneraile)
11:20 Thomas Neenan (Lahinch), Jamie Fletcher (Warrenpoint), Brian Doran (Baltinglass)
11:30 Ryan Berkeley (Dun Laoghaire), Jack Walsh (Castle), Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire)
11:40 Liam Nolan (Galway), Marc Nolan (Dun Laoghaire), Jack Ryan (Castletroy)
11:50 John McCarthy (Grange), Peter McKeever (Castle), Michael Joseph Kennelly (Galway Bay)
12:00 Jason Rackard (Enniscorthy), Ross Dutton (Tandragee), Philip Spratt (West Waterford)
12:10 James Temple (Portmarnock), Cathal Butler (Kinsale), Niall Hearns (Mountrath)
12:30 David Foy (Laytown & Bettystown), Mark MacGrath (UNM North, USA), David Kitt (Athenry)
12:40 Colum Kenny (Portmarnock), Jack Blake (The Island), Conor Hickey (Dooks)
12:50 Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth), Darragh Flynn (Carton House), Augustin Holé (Biarritz Le Phare)
13:00 Oisin Devereux (Carton House), Richard Knightly (The Royal Dublin), Darragh Coghlan (Portmarnock)
13:10 Owen O’Brien (Limerick), Stephen Walsh (Portmarnock), Matthew McClean (Malone)
13:20 Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas), Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock), Paul Buckley (Memorial GC, USA)
13:30 Nikolai Schaffrath (GLC Berlin-wannsee, Germany), Eanna Griffin (Waterford), Robert Browne (Castle)
13:40 Adam Doran (Co. Louth), Reece Black (Hilton Templepatrick), Daniel Connolly (Olympic, USA)
13:50 Charlie Denvir (Elm Park), Hugh O’Hare (Fortwilliam), Hugh Foley (The Royal Dublin)
14:00 Paul Murphy (Rosslare), Thomas O’Connor (Athlone), Marc Boucher (Carton House)
14:20 Liam Grehan (Mullingar), Andrew McCormack (Castletroy), David Reddan Jnr (Nenagh)
14:30 Sean Desmond (Monkstown), Ross Latimer (Knock), Thomas Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown)
14:40 Allan Hill (Athenry), Lorcan O’Connor (Edmondstown), Sean Poucher (Limerick)
14:50 Jake Rowe (Tandragee), Sean Downes (The Royal Dublin), Brian Gilligan (Woodstock)
15:00 Robert Ward (Nenagh), Michael Horan (Birr GC), Robbie Pierse (Grange)
15:10 Daniel Sweeney (Killeen Castle), Christopher Taylor (Kanturk), Michael Buggy (Castlecomer)
15:20 Jack Doherty (Carton House), Stefan Greenberg (Tandragee), Karl Bornemann (Douglas)
15:30 Darren O’Sullivan (Tralee), Gareth Andrew Carr (Mullingar), Michael Reddan (Limerick)
15:40 Edward Stack (Ballybunion), Paul Tobin (Douglas), Evan Farrell (Ardee)
15:50 Andrew Hickey (Ballyhaunis), Kieran Lynch (Skibbereen), Justin Kehoe (Limerick
