Patient Power tracking Wolff in Detroit - five back heading into Sunday
Seamus Power of Ireland plays his shot from the 18th tee during the third round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic on July 04, 2020 at the Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Seamus Power had to dig deep into his well of patience to keep red-hot playing partner Matthew Wolff in his sights and go into the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic just five shots off the lead.
The West Waterford man (33), who started the day just stroke behind Webb Simpson and Chris Kirk, chiselled out a three-under 69 to Wolff's 64 to share fourth place on 14-under par at Detroit Golf Club.
While he made a tentative start and failed to turn big drives into birdies on the first three holes, he birdied the fourth and fifth, then recovered from his first bogey of the tournament at the sixth with a two-under-par back nine.
Back to back birdies at the 13th and 14th, where he misread a 10 footer for eagle, got him to 14-under par and if he drives it as well as he has done all week — he's ranked second for strokes gained from the tee — he will have chances to challenge for a finish that could prove a giant step towards regaining full PGA Tour status.
He has his work cut out to secure that maiden win after Wolff (21) made an eagle, nine birdies and three bogeys in a second successive 64 to lead by three strokes on 16-under from Ryan Armour (67) and the ubiquitous Bryson DeChambeau (67).
But he will be encouraged with a three-under-par round having suffered his share of disappointing Saturday’s over the past three years.
His wedge play was not as sharp as he would have liked, and his putter was colder than it has been all week. But he again scrambled well (he's failed to get up and down just once from 14 tries this week for a 92.85% success rate) and will be encouraged that there are just three players ahead of him on the leaderboard.
He shares fourth place on 14-under par with Troy Merritt (67), Mark Hubbard (69) and the overnight leaders Kirk and Simpson, who both shot 70.
Norway’s Viktor Hovland (67) and England’s Matt Wallace (68) are lurking in a four-strong group on 13-under with Tyrrell Hatton (69) a shot further back.
Wolff was at his spectacular best all day, mixing five birdies with two bogeys and two pars in an outward nine of 32 before recovering from another bogey at the 10th with three birdies and an eagle three at the 14th.
“think I have to give credit to the ice cream truck that was circling the property,” Wolff said. “I'm not joking actually. On 5, the par 3, I made the longest putt of the day. It was like a 35 or something like that footer and I heard the ice cream truck and I'm like, I have a good feeling about this.
“Just had that little like ice cream truck song in my head and I think that helped me just not think about the speed or the line or anything, just keep my head free, which I've been giving a lot of credit to this week.“
