Power off to flyer on first day at School

Seamus Power shot 68 in the first round of the Web.com Q-School's Final Stage.

West Waterford's Seamus Power got his bid for a Web.com Tour card off to a flying start when he fired a four under par 68 on the first day of the Q-School Finals in Florida.

The 27-year old finished the opening day tied for sixth, just three strokes behind American Tain Lee, who shot 65 to lead by one from compatriot Rick Cochran and South Africa's Kyle Scott at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens. 

Scores

Power's goal is to win the six-round test, which would leave him unaffected by frequent re-ranking on the PGA Tour's second tier circuit in 2015.

Like the rest of the 150-strong field his minimum target is a Top-45 finish, which will guarantee him what would amount to a full Web.com Tour card.

"They reshuffle on the Web.com every four tournaments," Power said recently. "There's no cut so the higher you finish at Q-School, the better.

"The winner gets in every event but if you finish in the top 45 you’ve got the first eight events guaranteed so long as you don’t miss the cut in every single one of those eight events."

The field will play three rounds apiece  at PGA National’s Champion course – host of the PGA Tour’s The Honda Classic – and the Fazio course.

Power shot his 68 on the Fazio course, going out in four under 32 with birdies at the third, sixth, eighth and ninth before following a bogey at the short 16th with a birdie at the par-five 17th.