'Embrace being uncomfortable and try to keep my foot down' - Mark Power's plan for Poland glory
Mark Power
Mark Power has a chance to take a massive step forward in his career after grabbing a share of the 54-hole lead at the windswept Rosa Challenge Tour in Poland.
The Kilkenny man (26) carded a two-under 68 to share top spot with England's John Gough on nine-under par, two strokes clear of the field, in his quest for his maiden HotelPlanner Tour win.
"It was tough with the wind," said Power, who is 78th in the Road to Mallorca standings and desperate to make the top 70 who qualify for the two big money events in China in October, which are crucial to him if he's to make the 45-man Rolex Grand Final and battle for 15 DP World Tour cards.
"It was gusty at times, so we really had to flight shots in well and accept that it might catch the wind. It was hard to be perfect today, and I hung in well."
Power was pleased with how he managed his game overall and plans to take a similar approach into Sunday before he heads to Donbeg for the Amgen Irish Open and the chance to win more Road to Mallorca points.
"I really embraced the conditions, because you really have to hit it strong," he said. "If it blows again tomorrow, I'll be happy enough.
"I've been hitting the ball good, so there is no reason why I can't keep going.
"I feel my game has been there; it's actually something that I've really tried to do this week, to take things on a little bit more.
"I've tried to play a bit more aggressive at times and embrace being uncomfortable and try to keep my foot down."
Gough, whose parents hail from Meath and Down, shot 64 to share a one-stroke with Power over Scotland's Ryan Lumsden, England's Andrew Wilson, France's Julien Brun and Denmark's Victor Sidal Svendsen.
He currently sits in 17th spot on the Road to Mallorca, and a positive result this week would see him move inside the top 15 on the season-long rankings, who will be awarded DP World Tour cards.
Gary Hurley's 69 left him joint 19th on four-under with Ronan Mullarney 58th on four-over after a 75.
"I really like the course; I had a nice result here last year," the former Flogas Irish Amateur Open winner said. "Yesterday didn't go to plan, but we're in a good spot now. Hopefully that's my bad one out of the way.
"If I play like I did today, it could be quite nice come the end of play tomorrow."
Meanwhile, veteran Englishman Paul Casey (49) will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Omega European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre.
The LIV Golf star signed for a seven-under 63 to lead on 16-under-par from Austrian Maximilian Steinlechner 63), South Africa's Erik Van Rooyen (63) and Spanish duo Eugenio Chacarra (65) and Nacho Elvira (68).
The 15-time DP World Tour winner is seeking what would be an emotional victory.
He now calls Switzerland home and intends to donate all of this week's prize money to Fondation Beloved, which supports those directly impacted by the New Year's Day tragedy in Crans-Montana.
"I'm 49 now, so I'm not sure how good everything is," said the former world number three, who is now ranked 707th. "There's ailments, for sure.
"Yes, there was a wrist problem earlier in the year, but I bounced back from that and actually played some really good golf when we went to New York a few weeks after, but I wasn't sure; I mean, I thought that could have been the season.
"I now live in Switzerland, so it would mean an awful lot. It feels like a home week for me, and tomorrow, whatever happens, I hope I win, and I'll be playing really hard.
"But I'll make sure that all my prize money as well is going to the charity and the victims of the fire here in Crans Montana, so I've got a lot to play for tomorrow."
