2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner up Hugh Foley turns professional

November 10, 2024 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com

Hugh Foley (USGA Photo)

The talented Mid-Amateur from Ireland recently went 3-0 in the Concessions Cup and now will test the professional waters

One of the top mid-amateurs in the world is taking his talents to the professional golf game.

Hugh Foley of Ireland, the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up, is turning professional. Before turning pro, Foley was ranked No. 6 in the AmateurGolf.com Mid-Amateur Rankings.

“It's something I've dreamt of doing for a long time,” Foley told the Irish Independent. “I owe it to myself to see how far I can get.”

He won the AIG Irish Close in 2020 and the West of Ireland in 2021. Then, he had a 2022 season to remember, winning the double of the North and South of Ireland titles in 2022.

He was the first to do so since Darren Clarke in 1990.

He lost the 2022 Irish Close final in sudden death and even reached the final of that year’s US Mid-Amateur Championship.

Foley ended his amateur career well, going 3-0 at the Concessions Cup, winning his two matches with fellow Irishmen Matthew McClean and his singles match over 2024 Crump Cup champion Andrew Price.

Foley missed the 2023 Walker Cup by one shot.

“It was all or nothing,” Foley told the Irish Independent about missing the team. “I thought, I am going to make this Walker Cup team. I'm going to turn pro, and that's it. That's my whole life.

"I kind of lost what had gotten me better over the last five, six years, which was improving my golf game, and waiting for the results to come. It was all about results, results, results.”

He also got advice from one of Ireland's finest golfers, Padraig Harrington.

“I told (Harrington) I just had a plan A, and he was 100% in agreement with that,” Foley told the Irish Independent. “I’ve heard him give two answers to the same question.

Foley added, "But to me, he was saying, ‘Yeah, you can't be doing two things at once. You have to give everything to one thing and go for it. You'll be more likely to give up if you have a plan B’.

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