Power loses momentum as birdie blitz continues in PGA Tour finale

Séamus Power birdied three of his last six holes but still faces an uphill battle to retain full PGA Tour playing rights at the final-counting RSM Classic.

The West Waterford man made seven birdies and three bogeys in a rollercoaster, four-under 68 on the Plantation Course at Sea Island to trail halfway leader Andrew Novak by six shots on 10 under.

He was tied for 22nd and four shots shy of the third-place finish he needs to crack the top 100 in the FedExCup Fall standings, meaning he will need to get hot over the final 36 holes to achieve his goal.

The two-time PGA Tour winner began the week ranked 128th in the points list, and while there will be conditional cards for those in the top 125, he needs to contend for victory to have a chance of making the top 100.

Meanwhile, Switzerland's Cedric Gugler has been suspended by the European Tour Group for the first 10 HotelPlanner Tour events next season for breaching its Code of Behaviour.

An Independent Disciplinary Panel ruled that Gugler's conduct was a serious breach of the Tour's Code of Behaviour by virtue of a reckless infringement of the Rules of Golf during the first round of the Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge in the Czech Republic on June 12.

He was disqualified after being reported by his playing partners for playing from the wrong place on putting surfaces on multiple occasions.

His 10-event ban means he'll miss the first five months of the 2026 season.

On the Asian Tour, Caleb Surratt shot a three-under 68 and South Africa's Dean Burmester a 64 to share the lead heading into the final round of the PIF Saudi International in Riyadh.

The LIV Golf pair lead by a shot from Spain's Josele Ballester with Surratt bidding to make amends for last year's playoff defeat to Chile's Joaquin Niemann.

Richard Bland, Adrian Meronk and Anthony Kim are three strokes further back, while Surratt's Legion XIII teammate Tom McKibbin shot 69 to share 21st on nine under.

Graeme McDowell's 70 left him 30th on seven under.

It was a better day for the Irish on the Sunshine Tour, where Liam Grehan goes into the weekend just three shots off the lead in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final.

Grehan made eight birdies in a seven-under 65 to share seventh place on 12-under-par, just three shots behind leader Christiaan Burke.

The South African shot a 66 to lead by a shot on 15-under from Tyran Snyders and Casey Jarvis, while Hermitage's Rowan Lester shot 66 to move up to 11th on 11-under at the clifftop, Pezula Championship Course in the Western Cape.

In Florida, Leona Maguire went backwards on day two of the LPGA's $11 million CME Group Tour Championship.

The Co Cavan star carded a three-over 75 to slip to 56th in the 60-strong field at the season-ending event at Tiburón.

Former world number Nelly Korda, who has eight top-tens but no wins this year after claiming seven victories in 2024, shot a 64 to set the early clubhouse target at nine under.

In other news, Malahide Golf Club will host the LET Access Tour's Women's Irish Challenge for the second consecutive year from July 27-31 next season.

The Hilary Golf Society, meanwhile, has confirmed that three-time Major winner and society President Pádraig Harrington will play its winter outing at The Island next Tuesday.

Irish rugby international Josh van der Flier is also in the field.