Power pleased to "self-correct" after opening with eight-birdie 65 in Bermuda

Séamus Power was thrilled to “self-correct” and bounce back from a back nine wobble to fire eight birdies in a six-under 65 and keep the leaders in his sights in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

The world number 48 is the top-ranked player in the field and while he made six birdies in his first 12 holes to get to within three shots of Austin Smotherman in near windless conditions at Port Royal, missing just one green, he dropped two shots in three holes from the 13th to slip back into the pack.

After a pulled tee shot cost him a bogey at the par-three 13th, the Tooraneena man made a five-footer for scrambling par at the 14th but dropped another shot at the 15th after a poor iron off the tee resulted in a penalty drop.

But he didn’t panic and bounced back in style, rolling in a 10-footer for a brilliant two at the dangerous 211-yard 16th before getting up and down from sand for a birdie four at the 17th after a massive drive.

He had to sweat to make par at the last after blasting a 20-footer eight feet past but ended his day tied for 16th as Jason Smotherman shot a career-low, nine-under 62 to take the lead before being joined by Australia’s Harrison Endycott, a one-shot clear of Arjun Atwal, Adam Schenk, Scott Brown and Denny McCarthy.

“I feel I probably shot what I was supposed to,” Power said. ”I played nicely on the front nine and I was a little loose in a couple of spots on the back so it was nice to get a couple back there at the end.

"It’s obviously a strange course in these conditions with no wind. It’s bizarre. Every hole is a birdie chance today. So overall not too bad. I didn’t have my best stuff on the back, but I am pretty pleased.”

H was especially thrilled with his birdie on the 16th, which stopped the rot and turned his day around.

“That was important because I feel I am close to playing good golf. It’s great when you’re able to self-correct like that. I hit a very good iron shot into 16 and that’s a bonus.

“Obviously without the wind blowing off the ocean, it makes it a lot easier, but to get a two was nice and then to follow up with another birdie on 17 was great even though I had more than I wanted for par in 18 but overall very pleased.”

With high winds forecast for tomorrow, he’s hoping for smooth greens early in the day and a bit of luck with the weather.

I think there are high winds mentioned for tomorrow, but it’s always nice to get a good afternoon round in and hopefully, we get the best of the greens and slightly less wind but we’ll see.

It was also low scoring at the Portugal Masters, where England’s Jordan Smith carded the joint-lowest round of his DP World Tour career, racking up seven birdies and an eagle at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course as he seeks his second career win in the final regular event of the season.

Unlike many in the field in Vilamoura, the 2017 Porsche European Open champion (29) has no worries about his card as he’s had two runner-up finishes and six top-10s this season to sit 14th on the DP World Tour Rankings.

QUARTEIRA, PORTUGAL - OCTOBER 27: Jordan Smith of England lines up his putt on the ninth hole during Day One of the Portugal Masters at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course on October 27, 2022 in Quarteira, Portugal. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

“Anything like that you’re over the moon with,” said Smith, who only needs a win to cap off a memorable season. “I’m really happy with the way I played. I’ve been under the weather all week because I went on a stag do at the weekend and caught the flu.

“(A win) is the only thing missing this year. I’ve been close a couple of times. Overall, it’s been a great year and I’m over the moon with it already. Just to top it off with a win would be amazing.”

He leads by a shot from Denmark’s Jeff Winther and Dutchman Joost Luiten, who is 137th in the rankings with only the top 117 keeping their cards.

“I just have to play this tournament, see what happens,” Luiten said. “There’s no point in thinking ahead too much. I just need to play day by day. I want to get my card the normal way, top 117.”

Jonathan Caldwell, who is ranked 195th, opened with a two-under 69 to share 57th as he bids for the win he needs to avoid Q-School.

Caldwell is exempt into the Final Stage, but 236th-ranked Cormac Sharvin shot a two-over 73 and looks destined for next week’s Second Stage.