Kilkenny’s Mark Power combined great driving and putting to card a career-low eight under 64 in the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge and claim the first-round lead by a shot from Frenchman Clément Berardo.
“It was a good day out there,” Power said. “Eight under is my lowest round in a long time and the conditions were beautiful out there. I got off to a great start, and thankfully, I was able to keep the momentum going.
“I’ve been pretty good off the tee this year, and recently, my putter has been getting hot, and I’ve started to see them drop. I’m very confident at the minute, which always helps.”
Power is currently 118th on the Road to Mallorca Rankings and his confidence is on the rise, as evidenced by his recent tie for 11th at the Irish Challenge.
“I’m in a good space out there and hopefully I can capitalise on this good start today,” he said. “I’m focusing on securing my Challenge Tour card for next season and then hopefully have a full schedule of events next year. I know my game is good enough to compete out here.”
Naas’ Conor O’Rourke was just inside the projected cut mark after a 70 as Daniel Mulligan and Cormac Sharvin shot 71s and John Murphy a 76.
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 and Stephanie Meadow completed the last six holes on Friday morning and posted a 76.
In amateur golf, Millicent’s Brian Doran is looking to add a “major” to his recent Mullingar Scratch Trophy success in the 72-hole AIG Irish Amateur Close at Dun Laoghaire.
“I remember saying to a couple of people, I want a championship now and to win one of the big ones would be unbelievable,” Doran said, whose first task is to make the top 39 and ties who qualify for Sunday’s final 36 holes.
At the D+D REAL Czech Masters in Prague on the DP World Tour, Tom McKibbin made two birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey in a one-over 73 to lie 116th on one-over, nine strokes behind South Africa’s Pieter Moolman (33), who birdied his last six holes en route to an eight-under 64 and a one-shot lead.
Gary Hurley’s two-over 74 left him 129th at PGA National OAKS Prague.
