After year out, Waterford's Gary Hurley hoping to continue fine start to season

Though he is still not 100% fit, Hurley has figured out how he can play around his injury

Gary Hurley went a year without playing a tournament due to Parsonage Turner syndrome. Pic: Getty Images

Gary Hurley is hoping his game continues to trend in the right direction when he tees it up in the DP World PGTI Open at Classic Golf & Country Club in India this week.

The Waterford man spent the entirety of 2025 on the sidelines due to Parsonage Turner syndrome. The rare condition causes severe shoulder or upper arm pain followed by weakness. 

Hurley returned to the tee with a positive four weeks in South Africa to begin 2026. He made the cut in all four events on the Rainbow Nation and recorded a season-best ninth place finish in the CIRCA Cape Town Open, results that see him sit 26th on the early Road to Mallorca Rankings.

The 33-year-old is looking to carry his positive and pain-free start into the fifth event of the campaign.

“It’s been good,” he said. “I hadn’t played a tournament in over a year, so it was nice to make all four cuts in South Africa.

“I don’t really have any pain anymore which is obviously the number one priority.

“I know that I have the ability to earn promotion from the HotelPlanner Tour this year and I want to give myself the best opportunity to do that.” 

Hurley is excited to be back in action after a four-week break, and after coming through adversity over the past 12 months, believes his mentality is the key to success ahead of the opening round in Gurugram.

“The course is good, I’m happy to be able to get out here and play,” he added.

“Last year was difficult in moments. You find yourself not paying attention to golf scores and how people are doing, because it’s hard to see what your peers are doing.

“I’m still not 100%, but I’ve figured out how to work with and around my injury.

“I’m trying to believe in myself a little bit more, and I believe that the game I have is good enough to win out here which I think is important.

“I will be going in with that mentality, taking control of the controllables.” 

Hurley joins a strong field in India for the co-sanctioned event between the HotelPlanner Tour and the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India. He tees off on Thursday alongside Badal Hossain from Bangladesh and India’s Mohd Azhar.