Kevin Foley Through The Gauntlet

Kevin Foley of Somerville, NJ, being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, recently led Penn State to a second consecutive collegiate victory as a Sophomore. He posted teens under par which you can read about if you Google: Kevin Foley Golf – or start by reading his bio at: http://gopsusports.cstv.com/sports/mgolf/mtt/foley_kevin00.html

The type of talent Kevin Foley possesses comes from his purist mentality for the game of golf. Winning the Joseph I. Bedell Junior Tournament at age 11 in a tournament for 8-17 year-olds was big. And being the youngest of 8 helps too I believe. This is the type of pure golfing family, having learned from eldest brother Brian, that won't even hit off the mats at Pitch & Putt at Green Knoll Golf Course. Although it is technically against the rules to hit from the surrounding grass, the mats present to them the problem that that shot is too easy and therefore not close enough to real golf. If one of them were to use a mat during the round, their score would be marred by an asterisk. They may hole-out a shot from the mats, but it will always have been, from the mats.

I never even seen one of them slouch replacing a divot. If you've seen or played golf with any of the Foleys, it ain't hard to observe the unspeaking rogue respect they walk in as talented brothers. None moreso these days than the youngest, Kevin.

They all looked up to Brian being 6-foot-4 and a sling of himself driving the ball so deep off the tee, he’d land buckets over backnets of every local golf-range. It was a thing to behold as a kid shanking shots between the awe and pretending one’s own connection made the same thwack. A ball-shank was brought and walked around back to retrieve the drives Brian sent into orbit still ascending as they headed toward Rt. 206 from the Raritan Golf Range (now affectionately nicknamed “The Black Pearl”, after the pirate ship, since its netting running lengthwise flails with tears).

End up with socks full of burrs and shins of thornmarks but it made us feel victorious I remember. Don't even ask how many thousands of barely hit high-quality balls were harvested like morels when the ponds were drained at Green Knoll and Raritan Valley Country Club, where all looped as caddy, double-bagging. The hunt was on and joyful announcing of the purest ball finding was commonplace to the responses of intense envy, which brought a faster pace to it all – “Titleist Extra-Spin!” “Slazenger Balata!” (which was later shortened to simply: Slaz Balaz). Foleys were grammar school kids spinning back wedge shots 10 feet into the pin. Let's just say an entire kiddie-pool full was a fixture in the backyard. And so was Kevin Foley at a bathroom sink with a steel-tooth brush whitening them back to pure, and back to the course.

It all happened well before that day for Brian Foley, but looking back, him hitting that shot sure created a new fever and momentum for the boys. The Boy Scouts of America held a benefit hole-in-one competition; the first 3 shots were on the house - $10 each shot after. Brian holed out in the complimentary amount. Brian won $50,000 that day.

Coincidentally, Kevin was on his way to play Pitch & Putt as a kid and had to have the ball off the fireplace mantle to play with that earned his brother 50K. Apparently, he scratched it all up during his round. His brothers scolded him pretty bad for using it but neither Brian nor any other brother could honestly give a damn now. Kevin is ranked 17th amateur golfer in the nation. His 5-year plan is the PGA Tour.

Despite ages and time, I like to think looking at the moon that Alan Shepard forgot to bring golf balls and found a couple of the Foleys’ up there.

Keep hittin’ ‘em where you want ‘em Kev!