Power lurking in Brabazon Trophy; Foley just three back
Mark Power (Kilkenny) driving at the 12th tee during the BMW Irish Golfer Shootout at The K Club (21/07/2020). Picture by Pat Cashman
Mark Power continued his encouraging countdown to next week’s Amateur Championship when he fired five birdies and an eagle in a second-round 67 to lie just one shot off the pace in the Brabazon Trophy at Sherwood Forest.
The Kilkenny talent sits alone in second place behind Boyce Hill’s Jack Dyer, who added a 64 to his opening 70 to lead on eight-under-par.
“I’ve done well in boys’ amateur events and now I’m kicking on to the men’s,” said Power. “Hopefully I’m in a position to win and we’ll see what happens.
“The aim is to keep it in play and eliminate mistakes. I’ve not had a double bogey yet and that could be key.”
Five of the seven-strong Irish contingent made the one-over-par cut with Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley just three strokes off the lead in fifth after making seven birdies in a second-round 68.
Holywood’s Tom McKibbin lies one stroke further back on four-under after a 70 though Malone’s Matthew McClean followed his opening 66 with a 73 to slip to 21st on three-under.
Carton House’s Marc Boucher also made the cut with a shot to spare after a 69 as Moran, no doubt fatigued after his runner-up finish to Jason Rackard in the Mullingar Scratch Trophy, joined France-based Michal Young in missing the cut.
Power, Foley, Boucher, Moran and Young are part of an eight-strong Republic of Ireland contingent which has also entered The Amateur Championship and decided not follow the GUI’s recommendation to withdraw and adhere to government advice on avoiding non-essential travel to countries that are not on the green list.
The GUI recommendation does not apply to UK citizens, McKibbin and McClean, who are also set to play at Royal Birkdale, where Rowan Lester (Hermitage), Peter McKeever (Castle) and Luke O'Neill (Connemara) are also entered.
Wake Forest star Power is keen to play golf and travelled over to the UK by ferry on Sunday night following the Mullingar Scratch Trophy, where he tied for fourth with Caolan Rafferty, who like titleholder James Sugrue, has opted withdraw from The Amateur.
Power has no plans to travel to the US just yet for his second year at Wake Forest as all college events scheduled for the Fall Season have been cancelled.
Instead, he will take on-line classes and play as much golf as he can on this side of the Atlantic over the next few months.
Having been selected for the Palmer Cup, which was due to be played in Lahinch in July before being cancelled and rearranged for Bay Hill just before Christmas, Power may yet return to the US for that event later this year.
For now, he’s going well at Sherwood Forest, where he is attempting to become just the fifth Irish winner of the Brabazon Trophy behind David Long (1979), Ronan Rafferty (tied with Peter McEvoy in 1980), Niall Kearney (2009) and Cormac Sharvin (2015).
Sharvin won from Gavin Moynihan and Jack Hume in 2015, completing a 1-2-3. All three were joined on the winning 2015 Walker Cup team by Paul Dunne and Gary Hurley.
Other prestigious past winners on the illustrious roll of honour include 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and two-time major winner Sandy Lyle, who won in 1977