<p>Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley. Picture: Alps Tour</p>
Hugh Foley and Robert Moran will be joined by Qualifying School graduates Sam Murphy and Cathal MacCanna for the opening two events of the 2026 Alps Tour season in Egypt from Tuesday.
The third-tier tour celebrated the start of its 25th season by returning to Sokhna Golf Club for the Ein Bay Open and the Red Sea Little Venice Open.
The action begins with the 2026 Ein Bay Open on the A&B layout from Tuesday t before players switch to the B&C course for the Red Sea Little Venice Open from February 22.
Both tournaments will feature 120 players, representing 18 nations, including 16 amateur competitors.
Foley tied for 10th in the Ein Bay Open last year while Moran was tied for 17th.
Both men will be gunning to follow in the footsteps of Ronan Mullarney, who built on his second-place finish behind Spain’s Alvaro Hernandez Cabezuela last season to win one of five HotelPlanner Tour cards via the Order of Merit.
Foley (28) finished 18th in the Order of Merit last season, making 10 of 16 cuts and racking up four top-10 finishes as he registered a stroke average of 70.43.
Moran (26) finished 24th in the Order of Merit with four top 10 finishes in his second season.
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<img alt="Sam Murphy" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52780078e4b0782c048f31cb/1771270235735-DSLZMHGETBQXV6I05UMU/MUR021.jpg?format=1000w" /><br />
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Sam Murphy
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<img alt="Cathal Mac Canna" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52780078e4b0782c048f31cb/1771270235825-DV1M2T3OLUDC306URO79/MAC022.jpg?format=1000w" /><br />
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Cathal Mac Canna
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<img alt="Robert Moran" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52780078e4b0782c048f31cb/1771270308640-ZLP4UQMRP8YKVSZCYNQF/MOR062.jpg?format=1000w" /><br />
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Robert Moran
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<img alt="Hugh Foley" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52780078e4b0782c048f31cb/1771270237029-D12IZ78S3O5ZZAL6PEQY/FOL007.jpg?format=1000w" /><br />
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Hugh Foley
Each tournament will offer a prize fund of €42,500 and 45,000 Order of Merit points, with €6,200 and 6,525 points awarded to the winner.
Both events will be contested over 54 holes of stroke play with a cut after 36 holes.
Portrumna star Murphy (23) finished an impressive fifth at the Final Qualifying Stage last year while MacCanna (23), who plays out of Carton House, was 69th.
With five HotelPlanner Tour cards available at the end of the season, the opening events in Egypt mark the first key step in the race for promotion, which will culminate at the Alps Tour Grand Final, scheduled for Hulencourt in Belgium for the first time.
Sokhna Golf Club, located in Ain Sokhna along the shores of the Gulf of Suez, will once again host the opening tournaments of the season. The venue, featuring 27 holes, has been a regular stop on the Alps Tour schedule since 2013.
The Ein Bay Open will be contested on courses A&B (Par 72, 6,968 metres), while the Red Sea Little Venice Open will be played on courses B&C (Par 72, 6,670 metres).
Designed by John Sanford and Tim Lobb, the layout combines gently undulating fairways with strategically positioned bunkers and water hazards. Its coastal setting can introduce challenging wind conditions, adding another strategic dimension to the competition.
Sokhna Golf Club is a joint venture between the Little Venice Golf Resort, part of Hassan Allam Properties, and El Ein Bay, owned by Galalah Touristic Investments Company.
Article Link: Foley and Moran joined by Murphy and MacCanna for Alps Tour opener in Egypt - News - Irish Golf Desk