Hurley claims maiden Alps Tour win (with a little help from Séamus)
Gary Hurley following his win in the 2022 Alps de Andalucia
West Waterford's Gary Hurley ended his near seven-year wait for his first big win as a professional when he played his last four holes in four-under and closed with a five-under 67 to claim a four-stroke victory in the Alps de Andalucía.
The 29-year-old turned professional after winning the Walker Cup in 2015 and it was a huge struggle for him technically and physically until he slowly turned his game around following the pandemic.
He was inspired by the efforts of fellow West Waterford man Séamus Power on the PGA Tour and words of advice from the current world number 36 appear to have made a difference.
“I’ve actually spoken to him a few times over the past few months and he’s given me some ideas around certain parts of his game that I’m now implementing into my own, which is amazing,” Hurley said in February.
He had already had two top-10s in 11 starts on the Alps Tour last season and another four top-seven finishes in his first 11 starts this year before finally breaking through at Valle Guadiana Links in Huelva, just a few miles from the Portuguese border in southwest Andalucía.
The former European Individual Amateur Championship runner-up shared the 36-hole lead with the Netherlands' Davey Porsius on 13-under after rounds of 67 and 64.
While he made an early bogey at the second, he birdied the sixth, eighth and ninth, then followed a bogey at the par-three 14th with a sensational finish.
After making an eagle three at the 15th to surge clear, he finished birdie-par-birdie to win by four shots from French amateur Julien Sale on 18-under par.
"I've been playing very well this year, it was just a matter of having everything click," said Hurley, who won €5,800 to move to fourth in the Alps Tour Order of Merit with the top five earning Challenge Tour cards next season.
"I was in a really good space this week. Probably the best I've ever been. Today I controlled my emotions very well. I'm not surprised, but I'm very happy.
Hurley, who has been working hard on his mental game, avoided the leaderboards until the final hole.
"I looked at the leaderboard on the 18th fairway for the first time today,” he revealed. "I could see Julien was playing well ahead of me, but I was just taking care of my business since I couldn't control what he would do.
"I controlled my emotion and my execution really well. I was nervous but excited to test it today and feel the nerves."
He added: "It is my first win on the Official World Golf Ranking. It feels amazing. Today was a great day for me, even if it hadn't been with a win. I controlled my game and my emotions and I'm very pleased."
David Carey closed with a 68 to finish tied 12th on nine-under with Naas' Jonathan Yates tied 26th on five-under after a 69.
Conor Purcell, who did not play this week, is the next best of the Irish in the Order of Merit in 13th with Carey 23rd, Yates 25th, James Sugrue 42nd, Paul McBride 66th and Simon Bryan 117th.
