Power hits the front in UAE Challenge
Mark Power in action at the LIV Golf Promotions event at Riyadh Golf Club on Dec. 12. Photo by Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf
Kilkenny’s Mark Power took advantage of his first HotelPlanner Tour start of the season in the UAE Challenge and fired a second successive 67 to share the halfway lead.
The former Walker Cup star (24) has been playing on the third-tier Clutch Tour this season, but he made hay on his seasonal bow on Europe’s second-tier tour by making six birdies in a five-under effort.
“It’s my first event on the HotelPlanner Tour this year, so I’m very happy even though I feel like I left some shots out there,” said Power, who followed a bogey at the second with three birdies in a row from the fourth before adding three more birdies on the back nine.
“It started off quite windy and played very differently to yesterday. It was a bit of a grind on the front nine, but luckily, the wind dropped, and it was target golf towards the end.”
He shares the lead on 10 under at Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club with France’s Oihan Guillamoundeguy and South Africa’s JC Ritchie, one stroke ahead of England’s Will Hopkins and Danish duo John Axelsen and Christoffer Bring.
Royal Dublin’s Max Kennedy shot 73 to share 48th on four-under, but Dermot McElroy, Jonathan Caldwell and Daniel Mulligan missed the three-under cut.
In the Investec South African Women’s Open, Castlerock’s Annabel Wilson goes into the weekend just four shots behind Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini at the Erinvale Country & Golf Estate.
Last season’s rookie of the year, Tamburlini, shot a seven-under-par 65 to lead by a shot from France’s Perrine Delacour on 11 under.
Rookie Wilson ended the day in a seven-way tie for fourth after making an eagle and five birdies in a 67.
Lauren Walsh’s 72 left her 34th on three-under, eight shots off the lead, while Elm Park’s Anna Foster shot 70 to make the one-under par cut on the mark.
Douglas’ Sara Byrne missed the cut by three shots after a second successive 73, while Olivia Mehaffey was 12-over after a 76.
