A bogey on the final hole of his second round left Seamus Power sweating, but the Waterford man survived the cut on the number on his first star of the new PGA Tour season at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi.
A wild drive on his final hole saw Power bogey the par-four on his way to a second consecutive one-under 71, and at two-under-par he was left teetering on the edge of needing an early flight home.
But the cut line fell at two-under, meaning the 35-year-old has two more rounds to look forward to at the Country Club of Jackson as he tries to kick off the new season in a positive fashion.
It was a rather eventful second round for Power, who had looked destined to be headed home after following up two birdies in his first three holes with two bogeys in his next four, and then a double-bogey at the par-four eighth following a three-putt from 12-feet seemed to kill off his chances.
But the former Barbasol Championship winner showed excellent fighting qualities and he pulled himself back inside the cut line with birdies on four of his first six holes on the back nine, including holing out from 38-feet from the fringe at the par-three 12th and then driving the par-four 15th, putting his tee shot to nine-feet but missing the putt.
That moved Power to three-under-par for the week and with momentum behind him, there was hope he could kick on, but instead he would leave himself with that agonising wait as his wayward drive at the final hole cost him a shot.
But at two-under-par he made it in on the number and now he will refocus his efforts on cutting down the eight-shot deficit between himself and leaders Thomas Detry and Mackenzie Hughes.
Canada’s Hughes was particularly impressive as he posted an incredible nine-under 63 on day two to hit the top of the leaderboard at 10-under-par, a score that would be matched by Detry’s second consecutive 67 consisting of six birdies and one bogey.
The pair hold a one-shot lead over Austria’s Sepp Straka, who carded a 66 to reach nine-under-par, with Mark Hubbard, Garrick Higgo and Scott Stallings a shot further back at eight-under-par.
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