Mark Power left Saudi Arabia convinced he has the game to compete at the highest level despite agonisingly missing the day two cut by one stroke in the LIV Golf Promotions Event.

The former Walker Cup star from Kilkenny (24) fired a 66 on day one to make the top 28 who joined the exempt players on day two at Riyadh Golf Club, where all scores were reset as players battle for a lucrative spot on a LIV Golf team in 2025.

Only the top 20 made it through to today’s 36-hole shootout for that team place with the top 10 guaranteed a spot in the six-event $14.5 million International Series on the Asian Tour.

Power made two birdies and two bogeys to be level par for the day with six holes to play before he chipped in for an eagle three at the 15th and rapped in a 10 footer at the next to jump into a tie for 14th.

Chasing the birdie he knew he’d likely need to make the top-20, he attacked a 20 footer at the 17th but raced to three feet past and missed the return putt for par.

In the end, he couldn’t convert a long-range birdie putt at the 18th and a two-under 69 left him a shot outside a six-man playoff for 20th spot.

“I had a nice chip in on 15 followed by birdie on 16 which put me in a nice spot,” Power said. “I had 20 feet uphill on 17 for birdie and fancied it but rolled it three feet past leaving myself a downhill left-to-righter and unfortunately, I missed that which sealed it for me.”

“There are plenty of positives from the week. I had an ice cold putter today and still almost qualified for the final day shootout.

“So I know my game is good enough to compete with top quality players but I’m bitterly disappointed to miss out as I would have fancied my chances tomorrow given how I was feeling.”

Former world amateur number one Ollie Schniederjans from the US came through the six-man sudden-death playoff for the last spot, making three birdies at the 18th to eventually edge out compatriot MJ  Maguire.

At the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Championship, Tom McKibbin made four birdies and five bogeys in a 73 to go into the weekend nine strokes behind leader Marcus Kinhult.

The Swede shot a four-under 68 at Leopard Creek to lead by three shots on 11-under from South Africa’s Dean Burmester, England’s Dale Whitnell and Italy’s Andrea Pavan.

Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell was left to rue his opening 75 and five second round bogeys as he made two eagles and two birdies in a 71 to miss the one-under-par cut by three shots.

There was better news for the Irish in Thailand, where Greystones’ Paul Dunne and Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney qualified for next week’s Final Stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School.

Former British Masters winner Dunne closed with a four-under 68 to finish tied for sixth on 14-under at Grand Prix Golf Club in Kanchanaburi where 17 players qualified.

Kearney claimed one of 20 places at Springfield Royal Country Club in Cha-Am,  made four birdies and two bogeys in a two-under 70 to qualify on the seven-under limit.

Dunne and Kearney will now tee it up in the 240-man field for the five-round Final Stage at Lake View Resort and Golf Club in Hua Hin from December 17-21

There will be a cut to top 140 after 36 holes and the top 70 and ties after 72 holes with only the top 35 after 90 holes earning cards.