Seamus Power’s chances of earning a place at next week’s Players Championship are over after he missed the cut at the Puerto Rico Open.
The damage was done by an opening 75 and despite an improved 69, he missed the cut by two shots on level-par.
There was hope that the West Waterford man could claw himself into the weekend at Grand Reserve after a birdie and an eagle in his opening nine holes but a level-par back nine put paid to his slim chances.
Chandler Blanchet’s five-under 67 on Friday gave him a four-shot lead heading into the weekend.
Blanchet made birdies on all the par 5s and matched the tournament record for largest lead through 36 holes on 13-under.
Gordon Sargent, one shot off the lead when the day began, shot 70 to fall four back.
“The first part of the season, it’s been difficult, for sure,” Blanchet said. “It’s no fun practicing on Saturday and Sunday and not playing and waiting five days. So will be very happy to play some golf on a Saturday and Sunday this weekend.”
Blades Brown, the 18-year-old who turned pro before graduating high school in January, gets another crack at becoming the youngest PGA TOUR winner in 95 years. Brown shot 67 and was tied for third, hoping to build off the experience of playing in the final group with Scottie Scheffler at The American Express last month.
Brown was at 8-under 136 along with Ricky Castillo (68), Jesper Svensson of Sweden (69) and Jeremy Paul of Germany (67).
“Yeah, we’re halfway there,” Brown said. “A lot can happen in two days, so I’m excited for the weekend.”
Daly II played bogey-free and was six shots out of the lead in a tie for seventh. The Arkansas alum is making his PGA TOUR debut.
His father, the two-time major champion, played the Puerto Rico Open six times, making the cut four times with his best finish a tie for 10th in 2015, when his son was 11.
“It’s awesome. This place has always been one of my favorites to come watch my dad play back in the day, so it’s pretty cool to make it to the weekend,” Daly II said.
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