Séamus Power gives himself fighting chance of retaining tour card

The Waterford native needs to finish in the FedExCup Fall's top 100 to retain his tour card. He went into the RSM Classic in 129th. 

Seamus Power is six shots off the lead at the RSM Classic at Sea Island in Georgia. Pic: Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

Three birdies in the final six holes of his second round at the RSM Classic have given Séamus Power a fighting chance of retaining his full PGA Tour card over the weekend.

Power needs to breach the top 100 of the FedExCup Fall standings to keep his full tour privileges. He went into the tournament ranked 129th.

The Waterford native shot a four-under 68 on Friday, adding the six-under he carded on Thursday at Sea Island in Georgia. It leaves him tied for 22nd, a finish which would only see him jump five places in the rankings. The 38-year-old likely needs to place in the top three if he is to achieve his goal.

Power started well on Friday with a birdie on his opening hole but the next 10 were mixed as he negated three birdies with three bogeys. It leaves him six shots behind leader Andrew Novak and five off Patrick Rodgers and Michael Thorbjornsen who are tied for second.

Novak, who has already secured a place in the top 50, has been playing without pressure.

"I had a baby to two weeks ago, I'm just here getting out of the house and happy to be here and other guys are fighting for their job," said the American.

"That is a huge advantage for me this week. I've got a little bit less riding on it. I definitely want to win. It's a local tournament so there is extra motivation for me to play well here for that. But some guys have their entire years riding on this week."

Two years ago, he was one of those under pressure to retain his card.

"It was awful," he said.

"I think they made a video of it or something. All I had to do was make the cut to keep my card and I was looking safe, hit a ball in a tree and it got stuck in a tree on the last hole and I had to come back. I birdied my second ball basically to make the cut on the number. 

"That was about as stressed as I've been on a golf course maybe ever. My whole year was riding on that hole. So I'm very familiar with the amount of pressure that some of the guys are playing with this week and I'm very blessed to not have that pressure right now while I'm playing."

At the CME Group Tour Championship in Florida, Leona Maguire had a disappointing second round, as she carded a double bogey, and four bogeys to go with three birdies as she finished three-over for the day. It leaves her one-over for the tournament, tied for 56th of the 60 players.