Mark Power’s dreams of securing the one LIV Golf place on offer at the LIV Promotions Event in Saudi Arabia were dashed with a 17th hole bogey that proved costly and kept him out of a playoff.
The Kilkenny man only has partial status on the Challenge Tour for 2025 so there was a lot at stake, including exemptions into the Asian Tour’s International Series events for those placed 2-11 and a full LIV Tour card for the outright winner after the four rounds, but having been the only Irishman to survive round one, Power needed to repeat the feat on day two to give himself an opportunity in Saturday’s 36-hole decider.
A birdie on the third was a step in the right direction, but back-to-back bogeys on six and seven saw him facing the back nine with it all to do. A birdie on the par-4 12th kept his hopes alive, and he thrust himself right back into the mix with an eagle on 15 and followed up with a birdie on 16 to move to -3.
Another stroke gained over the final two holes would likely see him in a playoff at worst, but a mistake on the par-3 17th led to a disappointing bogey and left him needing a birdie on the last to have any chance of making it through, but could only manage a par for a two-under 69 that ended up being one shot shy of the playoff.
American Ollie Schniederjans eventually emerged from a six-for-one playoff to secure the final place in the qualification round, while Zimbabwean brothers Scott and Kieran Vincent who were relegated from LIV this year, kept their hopes of an immediate return alive by taking first and third on the day, with Kiwi Ben Campbell taking second.
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