Irish hopes at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship now rest solely on Hugh Foley’s shoulders after he secured a narrow round of 32 victory over American Colin Prater at Kinloch Golf Club in Virginia.
The Royal Dublin man found himself 1DOWN after the opening hole against the Colorado Springs native who birdied the first and won the sixth and seventh holes to extend his lead to 3UP.
Foley got his first win with a birdie on the ninth and reeled off four wins in succession as Prater went from 3UP to 1DOWN in the space of four holes. And it was a lead Foley would never relinquish, each hole halved in par until they reached the ninth – the final hole having started on the back – which is the toughest hole on the course and was playing well over par.
As it turned out, a bogey would be enough to see Foley through and he now faces North Carolinan Scott Harvey in the round of 16. Harvey finished tied for third in the strokeplay qualifying and recorded a 3&2 victory in the round of 32.
Hopes of another all-Irish final between Foley and Matthew McClean are over, however, as the Malone man fell 3&2 to former pro Parker Edens of South Dakota.
Like Foley, McClean fell 3DOWN early in the contest and though he’d pull to within one after back-to-back wins on nine and 10, Parker restored his two-hole cushion with wins on 11 and 13. McClean staged another mini-rally by winning the 14th, but when Parker won the 15th, a par on 16 was enough to see him through and end McClean’s dream of a second U.S. Mid-Amateur title in three years.
It’s a quick turnaround for Foley who is due back on the first tee at 1:10pm (18:10 Irish time) for the round of 16.