Kennedy aims for No 1 after learning “the hard way” in Brittany

Max Kennedy insists he "learned the hard way" when a fatal assumption led to his maiden win slipping agonisingly through his fingers on Sunday.

But rather than dwelling on the 72nd hole double-bogey or playoff bogey that cost him the Blot Play9 title in Brittany, he wants to finish the season as number one on Europe's second-tier HotelPlanner Tour rather than just make the top 20 who will be awarded Tour cards.

The Royal Dublin man (23) lost to England's James Morrison on the first tie hole but only after he assumed his rival's 72nd hole drive was on the fairway.

It turned out Morrison was in a bush and, believing he had to hit a good drive rather than play safe, Kennedy fatally followed him.

"These things happen; I'll learn a lot more from it that way," said Kennedy, who made six to Morrison's bogey five before losing to a par at the first tie hole. 

"Sometimes you've just got to learn the hard way, and I definitely learned the hard way this time, and I'll be far better prepared for the next time.

"Coming off the golf course, I wasn't very happy because I lost it rather than him winning it.

"James stepped up first and hit a bit of a draw. We couldn't see where the ball went, but hands went up, and I thought it was left side of the fairway.

"I had to get up to hit a shot and win it rather than just baby it down there. And turns out he was in the bush, and then I went in the bush too."

While he is now 20th in the race for 20 DP World Tour cards, he returns to action in the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge in Normandy, insisting he's aiming far higher than the top 20.

"The plan is to win the Road to Mallorca," said Kennedy, who wants to follow in the footsteps of Conor Purcell, who won twice on the second-tier circuit last season to clinch his card.

"I don't want to just come top 20."

Keeping that card is the next battle, and Purcell is 144th in the fight to make the top 127 who keep their cards.

But he has a double incentive in the Italian Open, where the top two non-exempt players will earn spots in The Open.

Royal Portrush is looming for former winners Pádraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, who will be looking to compete for 72 holes alongside Ballymena's Chris Devlin in this week's US Senior Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado.

The Open is not on Séamus Power's schedule yet as he plays the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club, looking to improve on his tie for eighth in 2021.

"I like it here," said Power, who said it was no more than "a little tweak" that forced him to withdraw during the first round of the Canadian Open three weeks ago. "I haven't played Detroit for a couple of years, but it's a beautiful course."

At 118th in the FedEx Cup standings, he needs some good weeks to make the top 100 who keep their cards.

Leona Maguire will be aiming to build on her tied 19th finish in last week's KPMG Women's PGA when she partners Jennifer Kupcho in the Dow Championship team event in Michigan.

Like Lauren Walsh, Anna Foster, Annabel Wilson, Canice Screene and Olivia Mehaffey, who play the Amundi German Masters, she's all set for the KPMG Women's Irish Open at Carton House next week.

In the European Amateur Championship at Vasatropp in Sweden, Co Louth’s Stuart Grehan opened with a one-under 71 to share fourth place in Sweden.

He was just a shot behind American Jack Gilbert, Mexico’s Gerardo Gonzalez and the Australia’s Kayun Mudadana in the battle for a spot in The Open at Royal Portrush.

Roscommon’s Thomas Higgins shot 73, Matt McClean a 78 and Sean Keeling an 81.