Hugh Foley became the first Royal Dublin player to win the title for 99 years when he romped to a ten-stroke win in the AIG Irish Amateur Close Championship at Rosapenna.

A full-time amateur, the 23-year-old Dubliner felt it was "destiny" that he should etch his name on the trophy just 15 months after he was forced to pull out on the eve of the Championship at Ballybunion when his father fell seriously ill.

"It's incredible," said Foley, who was tied for the 36-hole lead with Galway Bay's Andrew Hickey on one-under-par, two clear of the field, before closing with a bogey-free 67 on the Sandy Hills Links to win by ten strokes from Roganstown's Patrick Keeling and Carton House's Marc Boucher on six-under-par.

"I really didn't let myself think ahead at all. I only checked the scores on the 18th fairway there. That's when the nerves subsided. It's unbelievable to get your name on that trophy. It's incredible."

Foley headed to Ballybunion for last year's 'Close' with high hopes having led the qualifiers in the South of Ireland at Lahinch only to be forced to withdraw on the eve of the first round when his father fell ill at the Galway Races.

"I was thinking that and trying not to get ahead of myself on the course," said Foley, who teamed up with his father David, now happily recuperating, to win the gross in the World Father and Son Invitational at Waterville in August -- their second win in the event since 2017, when they also took the nett. 

"At the time I was playing similar golf. I had played great in Lahinch and maybe it was destiny to bring that golf game with me this week. I am just delighted."

As Hickey started with a quadruple-bogey eight and then double-bogeyed the second before eventually carding a 78 to tie for fourth with Baltinglass' Joseph Byrne, Royal Dublin's Richard Knightly and Kinsale's Gary Ward on five-over, Foley hardly put a foot wrong.

Opting to use the driver just four times over the three rounds, he birdied the first, fourth and ninth to go six shots clear, then picked up further shots at the 13th and par-three 16th to win by ten strokes, compiling a near-perfect round.

“I had a really good feeling about the week, I don’t know why,” added Foley, who is the first Royal Dublin player to win the “Close” since Captain E.F. Carter in 1921. “It was just one of those weeks where it feels great and I am delighted.”

He’s been working hard with his coach Geoff Loughrey for several years, reportedly targeting a place in the 2021 Walker Cup team, and their biannual trips to Donegal for practice sessions with other pupils certainly paid off.

“One hundred per cent,” Foley said. “I have played here in all conditions from every tee box so just knowing that the course can bite you [was key]. I didn’t lose a golf ball in three rounds. We saw a lot of high numbers. I knew I would have a chance at the end of the week if I kept them off the card.”  

As for the future, he’s happy to remain amateur for now after finishing third place in the Bridgestone Order of Merit table to secure a place on Golf Ireland’s first men’s High-Performance Panel for 2021.

Dun Laoghaire’s Alan Fahy topped the table from Boucher with the top three finishers in the points list automatically selected for the Irish panel.

“If this year was a normal year, I would have gone to Q-School as an amateur for experience,” Foley said. “Now with this and all the tours and travel up in the air, I will stay put for the time being. I am really enjoying it. I think it is a great life.”

Foley’s father was certainly thrilled to see his hard work rewarded with the blue riband Irish championship and a place in the Irish squad.

“The world is becoming his oyster and he deserves it,” Professor David Foley said yesterday. “He has been working really hard and taken everything in his stride.

“He has now embraced hydration and nutrition over the last month or so and maintaining flexibility by practising his short game.

“Every cloud has a silver lining because he was out the back (during the lockdown) on our artificial green, practising his chipping from all over the place and sharpening up his short game skills.”

AIG Men's Irish Close Championship, Rosapenna (Sandy Hills Links, Par 72)

Final

Detailed scores

210 H Foley (Royal Dublin) 77 66 67

220 P Keeling (Roganstown) 78 72 70, M Boucher (Carton House) 76 69 75

221 J Byrne (Baltinglass) 79 66 76, R Knightly (Royal Dublin) 74 73 74, A Hickey (Galway Bay) 72 71 78, G Ward (Kinsale) 70 77 74

222 A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) 81 72 69, R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) 80 75 67, J McDonnell (Forrest Little) 78 72 72, R Moran (Castle) 76 70 76, F O'Sullivan (Tralee) 73 76 73, I Lynch (Rosslare) 73 75 74

223 J Lyons (Galway) 77 75 71, A Mulholland (Castlerock) 76 77 70

224 K Egan (Carton House) 79 74 71, M McClean (Malone) 78 72 74, K Murray (Arklow) 76 74 74

225 C Ryan (Dun Laoghaire) 80 74 71, A McCormack (Castletroy) 76 77 72, D O'Riordan (Fermoy) 73 74 78

226 R Lester (Hermitage) 82 69 75

227 T Higgins (Roscommon) 79 76 72, G Cullen (The Links Portmarnock) 73 81 73

228 C Nolan (Portmarnock) 83 73 72, D Flynn (Carton House) 73 76 79

229 E Murphy (Dundalk) 80 72 77, D Mulligan (The Links Portmarnock) 79 77 73, D Kitt (Athenry) 79 77 73

230 L Nolan (Galway) 81 75 74

231 R Hynes (Royal Dublin) 80 75 76, C Hickey (Dooks) 74 78 79

232 D Holland (Castle) 79 70 83, E Sullivan (Carton House) 76 79 77

233 C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown) 81 74 78, K Murphy (Dun Laoghaire) 80 75 78, K Quigg (Ballyliffin) 75 79 79, S Desmond (Monkstown) 72 83 78

235 K McCarron (North West) 80 73 82