Power looks to draw ace card in Last Chance Saloon

Seamus Power hits his tee shot on the 12th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club on Thursday, May 15, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/PGA of America)

Seamus Power needs a top-three finish in The RSM Classic to retain full status on the PGA Tour next season.

The West Waterford star (38) missed a golden opportunity at last week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship to get closer to the top 100 who will be exempt and now finds himself in golf’s Last Chance Saloon, hoping for good cards.

Three shots off the lead with a round to play last week, he bogeyed four of his last five holes to finish tied for 11th, five strokes behind the winner, Adam Schenk.

He still moved up to 129th in the FedExCup Fall standings, but while a three-way tie for third would now be enough to crack the top 100, this week’s field has far more strength in depth.

Headed by Ryder Cup star Harris English and former Open champion Brian Harman, 29 of the world’s top 100 will be in action at Sea Island compared to just nine in Bermuda last week.

Power has shown signs recently that his best golf is not far away and while injury forced him to withdraw after the opening round last year, he was joint fourth at this week’s venue in 2021 and tied fifth in 2022.

He’s not the only Irish player looking for a grandstand finish to the season.

Leona Maguire makes her fifth consecutive appearance in the LPGA’s season-ending, $11 million CME Group Tour Championship for the top-60 points earners.

She made the field at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples in 56th place, but with a win worth a cool $4 million and 60th paying $55,000, the Co Cavan star has an opportunity to turn an average year into a great one.

The purse was $4m when she banked $550,000 for her runner-up finish to Lydia Ko at Tiburon in 2022, and a repeat performance this week would be worth a cool $1 million.

On the Asian Tour, Tom McKibbin and Graeme McDowell opened with three-under 68s in the PIF Saudi International at Riyadh Golf Club.

They were tied for 28th, six strokes behind fellow LIV Golf stars Caleb Surrat and Adrian Meronk, who shot 62s to lead by a shot from Belgium’s Thomas Pieters.