Hugh Foley (Royal Dublin) in action in the quarter-finals at the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch Golf Club. Picture: Niall O'Shea

Hugh Foley was a surprise omission for many from the Irish team for the Eisenhower Trophy later this month. But he insists he doesn't mind what teams he misses as long as he continues to etch his name on Irish golf's most prestigious trophies.

Last month, the Royal Dublin man became the first player since Darren Clarke in 1990 to win the North of Ireland and South of Ireland Championships in a single season.

Now he's set his sights on his second AIG Irish Men's Amateur Close title and his fifth amateur "major" in three years and he insists that keeping his feet on the ground and not getting ahead of himself will be key as he heads into action at Headfort in Co Meath today.

"At the start of the year, the Eisenhower was one of my goals and I didn't think I was on the team before the North or even before the South," Foley said.

"But it's an individual sport, and you can only control what you do, and that's what I will keep doing. I can't control how they select teams and how it is done.

"Not getting picked for the St Andrews Trophy meant I could play the North, which I mightn't have played, and I would definitely have missed the South. But now I have my name on both those trophies.
"It's nice to make teams, but it's even nicer to etch your name on trophies and in history.”

If he wins, Foley will again follow in the footsteps of Clarke, who won the North, South and Close titles in that memorable 1990 season.

"Darren won the Spanish Amateur that year as well," Foley said. "I was knocked out by the winner in that as well, so it could have been a really good week for me.

“But I can't complain. I have had a nice year and I will keep going forward, hopefully. I always start again. Golf will humble you pretty fast if you think you are anyone on the first tee. So it's back to zero and try and have a good event.

"I will try and get the good mindset for the week and get going. With Jack McDonnell and Matt McClean, I have a nice draw and hopefully, there will be some good golf and we can bring each other along.”

Since 1990, a host of players have two of the big six championships in the same season — Peter O'Keeffe (2021), Stuart Grehan (2015), Chris Selfridge (2012), Alan Dunbar (2010), Shane Lowry (2008), Rory McIlroy (2006 and 2005), Graeme McDowell (2000), David Higgins (1994) and Garth McGimpsey (1993).

But none have matched Clarke's haul of three, which is why Foley has already made two trips to the Christy O'Connor Jnr-designed New Course at Headfort.

"It's a great layout," he said of a 14-club challenge. "It is demanding off the tee and you have to shape it both ways. There are holes where you can be aggressive and holes that can be easy if you get the tee shot away. But it is not easy when you are standing on the tee.

"The holes don't really back onto each other, so you don't get away with bad shots. It's quite demanding. I have been working hard on long irons off the tee, and I will pick my battles at the right time."

While two of the three members of the Eisenhower Trophy team are skipping the event — Castle's Robert Moran and US Amateur bound Mark Power — North of Ireland and Flogas Irish Amateur Open winner Matt McClean from Malone is looking for his first Major win.

"When you're up there all the time, at some point, it's going to pay off," said the Belfast man (29), who is one of the big favourites for a Championship, which gets underway today with the top 64 after tomorrow's second round making the matchplay.

Defending champion O'Keeffe is looking to become the first man to retain the title since McIlroy in 2006.

After beating Moran in a three-hole aggregate play-off in a strokeplay edition at Tullamore last year and reaching the final of the South, he has high hopes.

"I'm playing nicely," O'Keeffe said. "I did well in Ballyliffin at the Home Internationals, and I had a good run in Lahinch. I'll try and get back into that mindset I had in the South.

The 2022 champion will play eight rounds in five days, and with high temperatures expected in the Meath venue, fitness will be key.

"It'll drain guys mentally and physically,” the Douglas man said. "The players who prepare themselves and mind themselves - it'll certainly stand to them.”

AIG Irish Amateur Close Championship, Headfort GC (New Course, Par 72)

Saturday/Sunday

1st tee/10th tee
08:30/13:15 A Gaynor (Co. Sligo), E Brady (Headfort), D Beirne (The K Club);
08:40/13:25 S Reddy (Douglas) S Whelan (Royal Tara), D Connellan (St. Anne’s);
08:50/13:35 J Blake (The Island), J Kelly (Ardee), J Doyle (Fota Island);
09:00/13:45 S Duffy (Royal Tara), I Lynch (Rosslare), M Deasy (Douglas);
09:10/13:55 A Challoner (Galway Bay), S McDermott (Slieve Russell), E Shipp (Headfort);
09:20/14:05 S Irwin (Castleknock), M O’Sullivan (Laytown & Bettystown), A Doran (Co. Louth);
09:30/14:15 C Harkin (Letterkenny), R Galligan (Elm Park), S O’Connell (Athenry);
09:40/14:25 R Fitzpatrick (Naas), T Plunkett (Crover House), C Mooney (Ballinasloe)
09:50/14:35 A Kiernan (Forrest Little), S Cunningham (Esker Hills), L Hutchinson (Royal Dublin)
10:00/14:45 A Hickey (Ballyhaunis), J McCarthy (Powerscourt), C Murtagh (The Island);
10:10/14:55 K McCarron (North West), S Flanagan (Portmarnock), H Fanagan (Milltown);
10:20 /15:05 R McCormack (Palmerstown House), S O’Connor (Castlebar), M McKinstry (Cairndhu);

13:15/08:30 M Kelly (Naas), J Fox (Portmarnock), M Doogue (Baltinglass);
13:25/08:40 A Brady (Co. Sligo), L O’Connor (Edmondstown), A Smith (Mullingar);
13:35/08:50 A Foley (Edmondstown), R Hynes Royal Dublin), C Ryan (Bray);
13:45/09:00 G Dunne (Co. Louth), P Buckley (Cork), M Gazi (Tralee)
13:55/09:10 J Hanney (The Island), T Abom (Edmondstown), R Latimer (Clandeboye);
14:05/09:20 P O’Hanlon (Carton House), J Rackard (Enniscorthy), D Cleary (Tipperary);
14:15/09:30 C Tracey (Co. Louth), J Foley (Elm Park), L Abom (Edmondstown);
14:25/09:40 K Murphy (Arklow), M Cain (Cork), J Byrne (Baltinglass);
14:35/09:50 S O’Brien (Nenagh), S McGlynn (Portmarnock), L Lynch (Naas);
14:45/10:00 P Coughlan (Castleknock), J Whelan (Grange), D Kitt (Athenry);
14:55/10:10 J McDonnell (Forrest Little), H Foley (Royal Dublin), M McClean (Malone);
15:05/10:20 S Walker (Roscommon), B St John (Portmarnock), C Butler (Kinsale).

10th tee/1st tee
08:30/13:15 J Hood (Galgorm Castle), D Flynn (Carton House), A King (Faithlegg);
08:40/13:25 D Shiel )Powerscourt), E Sullivan (Carton House) D O’Riordan (Fermoy);
08:50/13:35 R Cannon (Balbriggan), L Gowdy (Bangor), C Denvir (Elm Park);
09:00/13:45 C Hendrick (Grange), E Murphy (Dundalk), J Cleary (Elm Park)
09:10/13:55 R Brazill (Naas), A Hill (Roscommon), P Keeling (Roganstown);
09:20/14:05 C Dunphy (Killeen Castle), T Higgins (Roscommon), S Murphy (Portumna)
09:30/14:15 H Gillivan (Westport), D Keating (Seapoint), J Boles (Charleville);
09:40/14:25 S Keeling (Roganstown), J Rowe (Belvoir Park), K Egan (Carton House);
09:50/14:35 R Knightly (Royal Dublin), J Doherty (Carton House), T Dowdall (Woodbrook);
10:00/14:45 R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar), TJ Ford (Co. Sligo), A Fahy (Bray);
10:10/14:55 M Kennedy (Royal Dublin), L Nolan (Galway), P O’Keeffe (Douglas);
10:20/15:05 A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown), P Conroy (Enniscorthy), M Boucher (Carton House);

13:15/08:30 R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), N Hearns (Mountrath), C Moulds (Lisburn);
13:25/08:40 A Dooley (Carton House), R Symington (Lisburn), P McGrath (Galway Bay);
13:35/08:50 C Boggan (Co. Meath), S Og O’Neill (Slieve Russell), S Lillis (Kilrush);
13:45/09:00 A Collins (Laytown & Bettystown), S Hogan (The Heritage), E Magill (East Clare);
13:55/09:10 H Morgan (Donabate), M Furlong (Arklow), D Foy (Laytown & Bettystown);
14:05/09:20 A McCormick (Scrabo), M Shiel (Galway Bay), A Buchanan (Royal Portrush);
14:15/09:30 R Williamson (Holywood), M Dodd (St. Anne’s), D Murray (Co. Louth);
14:25/09:40 S Desmond (Monkstown), L Cunningham (Galway Bay), A Kelly (New Forest);
14:35/09:50 C Johnston (Dundalk), J Butler (Killeen), G Collins (Rosslare);
14:45/10:00 K Robinson (Castlewarden), Q Carew (Castleknock), D Muldowney (Carton House);
14:55/10:10 C Hickey (Dooks Golf), D McCormack (Corrstown), R Milne (Faithlegg);
15:05/10:20 J McCabe (Roganstown), J Pierse (Portmarnock), D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh).