Power takes first Ryder Cup step by joining DP World Tour

Seamus Power at the K Club. Photo by Brendan Moran/

SÉAMUS POWER has launched his bid for a place in Europe's Ryder Cup team by joining the DP World Tour.

Skipper Henrik Stenson has yet to announce the start date for the qualifying campaign for Rome 2023, but Power's results in co-sanctioned events will count in the Race to Dubai, starting with this week's WGC Dell Technologies Match Play.

"With the Match Play this week, the PGA Championship, the Irish Open and the Scottish Open all looking good, I thought it was a good idea, especially with the Ryder Cup in mind," Power said before taking on Sunjae Im on the opening day at Austin Country Club.

"I don't have to play much this year because I'll have affiliate membership, but if it goes well, I believe next year I have to play four events outside of the WGCs and the Majors. But for this year, if I play the four events I mentioned, I am covered." 

Big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau faced England's Richard Bland after seven weeks out injured and admitted he'd exacerbated a hand injury playing table tennis at the Saudi International.

"People are going to say it's off of speed training and all that, and sure, some of the things have been a part of that, just abuse and working really, really hard," he told Golf Channel.

"But at the same time, I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I've learned so much about my body as time has gone on and learned how to manage things and how important rest is."

Meanwhile, Leona Maguire is in California focused on the JTBC Classic and not next week's opening major, the Chevron Championship.

The world number 18 wants to maintain the momentum of her breakthrough win and back-to-back top-13 finishes in Asia.

"This week is all about this week, trying to play as well as I can this week, and when Sunday night comes, we'll switch our attention to Chevron," Maguire said at Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, where she's joined by Stephanie Meadow.

"Right now, 100 pc of the focus has to be on this week and whatever it takes to putt well and score well around here."

Hungry for more success, she believes her Solheim Cup heroics took her to the next level.

"I don't feel like this win has added that much more," she said. "I felt like I earned a lot of the respect of my peers after Solheim.".

At the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic, 2019 winner Graeme McDowell is upbeat about his game, patiently waiting for it to click.

"I need those weeks where you post some good finishes and get that confidence and that belief in yourself," McDowell said.

Jonathan Caldwell, Cormac Sharvin and Niall Kearney play the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters while Richard O'Donovan, Gavin Moynihan and John Murphy are at the Challenge Tour's SDC Open in South Africa.