Waterford’s Séamus Power pieced together a steady three-under-par round at Dunes Golf and Beach Club in South Carolina. The ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic is one of two PGA TOUR events taking place this weekend.
The 39-year-old began strong with a birdie at the par-4 first, sticking his approach shot to just five feet after an arrow off the tee to find the middle of the fairway.
Power made another birdie at the par-5 fourth, again sticking his approach inside three feet to tap in for a four. A missed green at the par-4 eighth forced a bogey for the two-time PGA winner.
Taking the turn at one-over-par, he made use of the two remaining par-5s to secure two more birdies to head back to the clubhouse with a 68, seeing him into round two T17 – just four-strokes off the lead.
Scotland’s Martin Laird probably wouldn’t believe you if you told him last week that he would be leading the Myrtle Beach Classic – considering he didn’t know he was playing it until three days ago.
The Scot got in as an alternate and he tied his personal best with nine birdies in a 7-under 64 that gave him a one-shot lead in only his second PGA TOUR start of the year – making eight birdies and an eagle.
Laird has been bouncing between the Korn Ferry Tour and whatever PGA TOUR events he can get in, which hasn’t been much. His only other start was in the Puerto Rico Open, where he tied for 57th.
“Obviously a huge opportunity,” the 43-year-old Laird said. “Any time you get to play in a PGA TOUR event, even at my age, is still great. It’s been fine going back and forth, but it’s hard sometimes to jump back and forth because you don’t really know where you’re going and what run you’re going to have.”
England’s Aaron Rai and Japan’s Keita Nakajima are tied in second place with both sitting at six-under.
An electric start for Rai saw him birdie the first four holes – before making five more.
“A really good start. Obviously started the round great with birdieing the first four holes, and then just kept creating a lot of chances. Hit some good tee shots, got it in the fairway. Wedge play felt really strong. Kept making some nice midrange putts as well,” said Rai.
Nakajima posted a bogey free round, with his best work coming on the back nine – making five birdies.
Mark Hubbard, John Van Der Laan, and Paul Peterson sit T4 at five-under.
Australia’s Ryan Ruffels returned to the PGA TOUR after the former no.1 amateur in the world played his way into the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic this week through a qualifier called ‘The Q’ reserved exclusively for YouTubers and content creators such as himself.
Ruffels is in and amongst it after 18-holes after posting a four-under-par first round to share T7.
“Yeah, it’s kind of a strange feeling out there today. More nervous than I’ve ever been because so many people were watching, but less nervous than I’ve ever been because it’s not everything to me I guess this time,” said Ruffels.
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