Despite a disappointing missed cut at last week’s Amgen Irish Open, Séamus Power showed little signs of jetlag as he returned to the United States to tee it up at the Biltmore Championship Asheville in North Carolina and shot an opening five-under 66.
The Waterford man, who began the week ranked 114th in the FedEx Fall rankings, needs to push his way into the top 100 by the conclusion of the RSM Classic in November to regain full tour status for 2027.
Despite an early par-5 bogey, Power played the remaining 15 holes in six-under, making back-to-back birdies on four and five and another on the par-4 10th and birdied each of the remaining three par-5s to sit inside the top 10 at T9.
His approach play was particularly impressive, as he ranked fifth in Strokes Gained: Approach and that will come as welcome news as it’s been his tee-to-green play that has been the weakest part of his game in 2026.
Max Greyserman and Eric Cole share the lead at -7, with a further six players sharing third a shot behind.
The Biltmore Championship Asheville, played at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, is the tour’s first stop amid the Blue Ridge Mountains since Ben Hogan won in 1942. It’s also the first of the eight tournaments in the FedEx Cup Fall that determine the top 100 who retain full status for 2027.
That hasn’t been a problem for Greyserman the last two years. The 31-year-old from New Jersey has been eligible for the last eight majors, and he has played in 12 of the $20 million signature events dating to 2025.
But he has one top 10 this year — a tie for ninth, 11 shots behind at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson — and starts the fall series at No. 103 in the FedEx Cup. He has dropped from No. 32 in the world to start the year to No. 90.
This is his first tournament since the Wyndham Championship five weeks ago. He took off two weeks to spend time with his 8-month-old son. He headed to New Jersey for a week of a little practice, and then was gone two more weeks on a vacation to Italy.
“Maybe that’s key,” Greyserman said. “Don’t practice and just have a good time and just show up here.”
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