Mark Power. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Mark Power was the lone Irishman to make the cut after he produced one of the best rounds of his career to keep his DP World Tour card dream on life support at the Final Stage of the Qualifying School in Spain.
The Kilkenny man (25) birdied two of his last three holes to card a five-under 66 at the Lakes Course ad Infinitum in Tarragona and make the 72-hole cut with nothing to spare.
He looked to have blown his chance to at least battle for a HotelPlanner Tour card awarded to all who play all six rounds after he racked up two triple bogeys in a third-round 76.
But he dug deep in round four, rattling in four birdies in 13 holes before following a bogey at the 15th with birdies at the 16th and 18th to move up to 54th on six-under.
“That was one of the better rounds I’ve played, especially after the heartbreak of yesterday,” confessed Power, who needs to finish in the top 20 and ties after six rounds to clinch a DP World Tour card. “Delighted with today.”
His birdie at the 16th looked like it might be enough, but he finished in style by following a big drive and a 215-yard six iron to 40 feet at the par-five 18th before lagging stone dead.
The two-time Walker Cup player ius now guaranteed one of three categories of HotelPlanner Tour card, depending on where he finishes.
But while he’s five strokes outside the top 20 and ties who will be awarded DP World Tour cards and knows he has nothing to lose.
“Looking forward to the next few days with lots to play for,” he said. “The plan is to play lots of aggressive golf and try to get the putter hot. I will need a few low ones.”
Exactly 60 players made the cut, but there was heartbreak for Irish golf’s Cormac Sharvin, John-Ross Galbraith, Max Kennedy and Conor Purcell and 12 former DP World Tour winners, including Ryder Cup players Chris Wood and Oliver Wilson.
Sharvin missed the cut by three strokes after a 72 on the Hills Course, with Galbraith also shooting level par there to finish a shot further back.
Kennedy shot a one-under 71 to miss out by five strokes, but like Purcell, who was two-over after a 72 at the Lakes, he’s got HotelPlanner Tour status next year.
At the top of the leaderboard, South Africa’s Zander Lombard posted a seven-under par 64 on the Lakes Course to lead by six shots on 22-under from Australian Connor McKinney.
