‘That's why we practice’ - Seamus Power chasing Koivun and FedEx Cup points after super 63

Seamus Power fired a stunning eight-under 63 to surge into contention, but he'll need something special to catch rookie sensation Jackson Koivun at the 3M Open in Minnesota.

The West Waterford man (39), who has conditional status and limited starts this year, needs some big weeks to jump from 115th into the top 100 in the FedEx  Cup standings and be exempt next year.

He now has a chance to make a big move in the right direction at TPC Twin Cities, where he made 127 feet of putts in his lowest round of the season.

He briefly held a share of the clubhouse lead but ended the day tied for ninth alongside Davis Thompson, Scottie Scheffler and Brian Harman, six shots behind rookie Koivun.

The Californian (21) made two eagles on the back nine as he raced home in eight under 28 and carded a 10-under 61 to lead by three shots from Ben Kohles (65) and Argentina's Emiliano Grillo (65) on 20-under.

"That's why we practice, that's why you put in all the hours and stuff, "Power said of the boost he got from his bogey-free round and the chance to contend at the business end of the tournament.

"You're going to test yourself tomorrow under tougher circumstances, but I'm really looking forward to it. And it's been a little while, so I really can't wait."

Power fed off playing partner Thompson, who birdied six of the first seven holes en route to a 63.

"I was able to just kind of feed off him a little bit, and I felt like I was playing catch-up in my own group," said Power, who birdied four of his last six holes. 

"He kind of drove me along nicely and I was able to knock in a couple at the end there to catch up."

As for his position, he knew he'd be trailing come the end of play but felt good about his game after a season that's brought one top-10, another three top-25s and an injury-enforced withdrawal with back problems just three weeks ago,

"It's the kind of position you want to be in," he said. "I made a couple of very nice par saves on 11 and 13, kind of kept my round going, so that was really a big turning point. 

"If I missed a couple of those, I might have stalled out a little bit. It was great. Anytime you're bogey-free on the PGA TOUR, you're doing a lot of good things. 

"It was nice, and obviously it helps the score a lot, so it puts me in a good spot for tomorrow, so hopefully not too many bogeys tomorrow either."

Koivun turned professional last month after three record-setting seasons at Auburn University, where he swept the three national player of the year awards in both 2024 and 2026 as he led Auburn to two NCAA Championships.

He turned in just two under but birdied the 10th, eagled the 12th and birdied the 13th before finishing birdie, birdie, eagle.

"I'm feeling great," Koivun said. "Excited, ready for tomorrow. It's definitely going to be a test tomorrow. 

"I'm sure some of the pins will be tucked, and we've got a lot of great players behind me, but just going to stick to my game plan and try to smile."