Five quickly became one as Mark Power was the only Irishman to advance to the second round of LIV Promotions in Riyadh Golf Club.
Power carded a five-under 66 to qualify at his ease in seventh place on a day where Liam Nolan, Alex Maguire and Max Kennedy all fell short while Malone amateur Matthew McClean missed out by a shot despite a three-under 68.
McClean was as high as T13 when he tapped in on the 18th but his long wait was in vein meaning that Power will be the lone Irish ranger with the scores reset for round two and another top-20 cut to navigate before a 36-hole shootout on Saturday.
“I suppose we’re completely resetting, so just to understand that today’s round is behind me and have to do more of the same tomorrow,” said Power. “Hopefully get off to a fast start and just keep plugging away, but yeah, it’s an interesting format, a first for me anyway, so just trying to enjoy it.”
After opening with six successive pars the Kilkenny man got on the birdie trail on the seventh before adding two more on the tenth and fifteenth but the crucial moment came on the par-4 13th where he holed out with his second for a vital eagle.
“I hit a 3-wood through the fairway on 13. I actually thought it was perfect and was kind of disappointed it was in the rough, but it ended up being lucky because the pin was right at the back so I could kind of run one up to the back pin. But it was still a heavy lie, so I just wanted to try and hit it on the green and let it run up. It came out perfect, and it just caught the left slope and disappeared. Yeah, it was a nice one.”
The 24-year-old saw his maiden campaign as a touring professional fizzle out on the Challenge Tour as he missed out on a full category for next season. Mini tour events will fill out his 2025 calendar but he admits earning the one lucrative LIV Golf card or one of the Asian Tour / International Series spots could be life changing in his young career.
“It would be incredible, life-changing you could nearly say. But I suppose I’m very early in my career at the minute, so still trying to find my feet, learn from experiences and stuff. But yeah, it would be an incredible opportunity. But still a lot of golf left, so just take it one step at a time.”
Galway’s Nolan will have to settle for the Alps Tour next year after a difficult finish scuppered his chances with a one-under 71. He finished alongside Laytown & Bettystown’s Maguire who also missed out.
At the time of writing, Royal Dublin’s Kennedy was one-over with three to play and five shots outside the top-20 but he has a full Challenge Tour card to soften the blow of missing out for the second successive year.
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