Rollercoaster start for Séamus Power in Utah

Seamus Power

Seamus Power endured a roller-coaster start and must now steady the ship to make the cut for the Bank of Utah Championship.

The West Waterford man (39) made three birdies and a bogey on the front nine at Black Desert Resort, but he struggled to avoid mistakes coming home and signed for a one-under-par 70, leaving him a shot outside the projected cut line.

A double bogey at the 11th, where he found water with his approach, saw him fall back to level par, but while he birdied the 14th and 15th to get back to two-under, he finished bogey, birdie, bogey to end the opening day in 81st place.

The Tooraneena man, who is 104th in the FedEx Cup Fall rankings, needs to finish the year inside the top 100 to enjoy full playing privileges next season.

He’s eight strokes behind 86th-ranked Zach Bauchou, who birdied his last two holes to card a career-low, nine-under 62. 

He leads by a shot from eight players — Canada’s Sudarshan Yellamaraju, David Lipsky, Germany’s Stephan Jaeger, Steven Fisk, England’s Jordan Smith, Kevin Roy, Kevin  Streelman, Nick Dunlap and Austin Smotherman.

Smith’s 63 featured a spectacular finish as he made a 30-footer on the eighth before holing out from 238 yards for an albatross on the ninth.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever done it, so it was pretty special, and to end a round like that is even more special,” Smith said.

Yellamaraju is 59th in the FedExCup and battling to finish between 51st and 60th to earn spots in the Signature Events at Pebble Beach and Riviera next season.

Defending champion Michael Brennan was 11th after a 64, while Jackson Koivun, who played on the winning US team at last week’s Presidents Cup, was 65th after a 69.

On the LPGA tour, it was also a mixed day for the Irish trio at the LOTTE Championship in rainy, breezy Hawaii.

Stephanie Meadow tied for 36th after opening with a two-under-par 70 at Hoakalei Country Club.

She was five shots behind 1 South Korea’s A Lim Kim, who shot 65 to lead by a shot from China’s Yu Liu and her compatriot Ina Yoon.

“Trajectory for control and then putting is really important on this course because it is very windy,” Kim said. 

Leona Maguire battled back from three-over par through 11 holes and birdied the third, fifth and ninth to shoot a level par 72, leaving her joint 74th.

Castlewarden’s Lauren Walsh made just one birdie in a two-over 74 to share 102nd place.