Seamus Power overcame sweltering heat and outshone Major champions Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry to keep his Play-Off hopes alive in the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis.
Lowry carded a level par 70 as Holywood’s McIlroy struggled on the greens after an early eagle and needed birdies at the 16th and 18th to open with a two-under 68 in the first Play-Off event at TPC Southwind.
Third-ranked McIlroy and 10th-ranked Lowry will safely make the top 50 who qualify for the BMW Championship in Denver next week.
Seamus Power says he’s not feeling any pressure
But 66th-ranked Power may need to challenge for the title if he’s to progress and, after making four birdies and a bogey in three-under 67 to trail early leader Chris Kirk by just three shots, he’s still got a chance.
“For me, I’m trying to be in contention going into the back nine Sunday, and then I’ve got a chance at reaching all my goals,” said Power, who plunged his hands into the ice-filled coolers on the tees to battle the searing heat.
“Look, it’s one of those ones. I don’t feel like I have much to lose. I either play very well and have a good tournament and go on to Denver, or I don’t.
“I felt a little tighter probably last week, because you felt like you had something to lose in my position.
“I feel like I have everything to gain this week.”
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FedExCup leader Scottie Scheffler finds it “silly” given that players who might not have shone all year can overhaul him in the season-long race with a brace of hot weeks in the Play-Offs.
But after falling away in the Play-Off in recent years and missing out on the Tour Championship, Power is looking to take advantage of the system’s volatility.
“I saw Scottie’s comments about the Play-Offs yesterday and the last couple of years; I felt like that,” said Power, who was 69th heading to the Wyndham Championship last week but finished 28th to make the top 70 who tee it up this week.
“And this year, being at 66, this is great. So it’s one of those things, you know. Three solid rounds and one low one, and just see what happens.”
At the rain-delayed ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open at Dundonald Links, Leona Maguire opened with a one-over 73 to trail clubhouse leader Minjee Lee by six shots as Lauren Walsh shot 77.