Mark Power shot a blistering round of 63 to roar to his maiden victory as a professional at the Clutch Tour Championship.
It was an Irish one, two at Al Ain Equestrian Shooting and Golf Club as Power pipped Alex Maguire by two shots on sixteen-under-par while Mallow’s James Sugrue punched his ticket to the HotelPlanner Tour with a T6 finish which gave him third on the Order of Merit.
Power teed off a couple of shots off the overnight pace but started brilliantly with a hole out eagle on the par-4 4th. His only bogey of the day came at the sixth but he recovered superbly with three successive birdies.
The Mount Juliet man smelled blood as 36-hole leader Tom Sloman began to falter and he reeled off birdies on the 11th, 14th and 16th to move three clear before Maguire bustled his way into the runner-up position with back to back birdies to close.
It had been a difficult season for Power to this point who missed eight cuts worldwide since a top-6 finish on the HotelPlanner Tour in April but he always felt the good golf was going to come and he was delighted to take advantage.
“It feels great, first official win as a professional and to do it on the Clutch Tour at the Tour Championship is very satisfying,” said the 25-year-old.
“The good golf has been coming but you keep telling yourself it’s going to come, it’s going to come. This is what you work hard for and thankfully this week it all fell into place.”
Power will have little time to celebrate and might just keep the champagne on ice with a clear head needed for next week as he tackles the Second Stage of DP World Tour Q-School.
Power will skip into Desert Springs Resort €17,000 richer which will help balance the books and pay for the expensive trip to Q-School which he hopes will continue to the Final Stage and eventually result in a DP World Tour card next month.
“It’s not cheap playing out here but we are all playing to chase the dream and when you can top up the bank account it’s nice so I am very happy.”
