Mark Power boosted his DP World Tour card hopes with a sparkling round of 67 on day two of the Qualifying School final stage at Infinitum.
After feeling shortchanged after an opening 71 at the Lakes Course, Power clicked into gear on the Hills and is now in a share of 26th place on five-under-par which is two shots outside the top-20 and ties which would earn Category 18 for 2026.
“I’m delighted, I was disappointed with yesterday felt like my iron play wasn’t great, drove the ball brilliantly, normally at the Lakes if you put yourself in play you will have plenty of chances,” reflected the 25-year-old. “I struggled a little bit on the greens but today as soon as the first couple of holes I knew that my irons were on. Little disappointed to three-putt my second last but they are playing tough and it was tricky enough.
The Kilkenny man was hurling well early on. A tidy par save on his first hole, the tenth, set the tone and he reeled off three birdies in a row to set him on his way from the eleventh. He added another on the 15th before two more came on the way to the clubhouse at the 4th and 7th holes.
A three-putt bogey on the par-3 8th took a little bit of the gloss off a much needed round but with four rounds remaining Power is in position to challenge for that coveted place at Europe’s top level.
“I just got into a lovely rhythm, drove the green on a par four, hit one close, it was all falling into place,” explained Power who is enjoying the challenge.
“This course makes you think a bit more, visually standing on a fairway with trouble both sides it can be intimidating, you never know which way the wind is blowing so you need to be on your game all week. Mentally a draining week so you need to stay focused.”
The two-time Walker Cup star reached the final stage two years ago when he first turned professional but admits he felt like a deer in the headlights.
This week it’s all about keeping a clear mind and taking each hole at a time and he hopes his previous experience in this environment can be worth a shot or two.
Power is one of five Irishmen looking to bridge a much maligned talent gap in Europe this week alongside JR Galbraith, Conor Purcell, Max Kennedy and Cormac Sharvin but even securing full HotelPlanner Tour status would be a step in the right direction for him after struggling for starts this term.
“Just try and completely stay in the moment, I have done a good job of that. The first time I played final stage two years ago I was thinking of everything else bar the hole I was on so definitely nice to have that experience in the memory bank and face what’s in front of you.”
Earning a DP World Tour card or status on the tier below would cap off a very encouraging end to the season for Power who looks to have turned a corner following his maiden professional victory at the Clutch Pro Tour finale last month.
“When you are playing well it is a little bit easier and finally I found form towards the back end of the year which is nice.
“First professional win, it was very stress free final round and when your game is in that position where you aren’t thinking of much you are just seeing the target it’s the best place to be in golf.”
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