“You're like, man, the extra 15 yards in the air goes a long way” — Power upbeat but still seeking distance
Seamus Power
Seamus Power hopes to produce a gloss finish in the Valspar Championship this weekend as he looks to earn more starts over the next few weeks in his bid to win back full PGA Tour status.
The West Waterford man is a reserve for next week's Texas Children's Houston Open and also looks unlikely to get into the Valero Texas Open the following week.
With the Masters approaching and three Signature Events scheduled between Augusta and the PGA Championship, he may have to wait until late May to get a good run of events.
But he sees positive signs in his game, and after carding a three under 68 last night to go into the weekend just seven shots behind Sungjae Im at Copperhead Resort, he's targeting a big weekend on Florida's Gulf Coast.
"This is one place I do like," said Power, who is tied for 27th on two under, seven shots behind Im, who shot 69 to lead by a shot from David Lipsky.
After finishing tied for eighth last year, 12 months after shooting 76 in the final group on Sunday to crash from second to 26th, the affable Waterford man is looking to complete the job this weekend.
"I backdoored a top-10 last year, and the year before, I played three good rounds and then had a poor last round,” he said. "So maybe this year, I can have a good Saturday and a good Sunday.
"The Florida swing has never been brilliant to me because I play a lot of my best golf in the summer and fall.
"What's this? Event number seven for the year? That's a couple more than I was expecting.
"So it's nice to get even a few points on the board and feel like I'm really working towards a lot of good stuff."
Power is keen to take advantage of the chance to earn some big FedExCup points with only the top 100 exempt next year
He tees it up with teenager Blades Brown today and knows he'll have to play his way into the Texas events with a big weekend or head home to Las Vegas to practice.
"I thought I would be in next week and I actually booked a hotel too, like an idiot," he joked. "So I think top 10 here is probably my best chance to get in.
"When it gets to Augusta, and there's a bunch of those elevated events between Augusta and the PGA, there aren't a lot of points available for the non-elevated guys. So a good weekend here will go a long way."
Brown (18) showed he can play when he shot 60 in the second round of the American Express in January, and Power (39) knows he will be lining up with the latest big-hitting young talent.
Driving the ball is an aspect of the game that’s been letting him down at times, but he believes he can regain the distance he lost through injury over the past two years.
"Short game has been much, much better," Power said. "Long game is okay. It's good in spots. And then there are a couple of loose ones every day, which are just costing me and holding me back a little bit.
“But it's close. That's the frustrating part of golf, where it's very, very close and you're just waiting for it to happen. But it's not quite happening, that kind of thing.
"So I'm very excited. Had another good range session there and there was a lot of good stuff on the course today. So I'm hoping to put it together right from the start this weekend."
As for the young guns, he's amazed by their effortless power.
"They certainly move it," he said. "Like I was playing with Rasmus [Hojgaard] the first two days, who isn't even as young as some of them. But Rasmus can move it off the tee. It's unbelievable, and it's pretty effortless.
"There are a lot of guys like that. Unfortunately, I've gone the other way over the last couple of years due to some injuries.
"The next few weeks, if I am not playing, will be a big chance to work a lot on that and get a few miles an hour back.
“Playing with Rasmus and a couple of guys the last few weeks, you're like, man, the extra 15 yards in the air goes a long way. So yeah, it's a big part of the game now.
"Everyone's got their opinion. They agree with it. Don't agree with it, but as of right now, it's a huge advantage. So we'll see if we can get a little closer in the next two weeks."
While it was a good Friday for Power in Florida, Leona Maguire and Lauren Walsh missed the cut in the LPGA's Fortinet Founders Cup in California.
Maguire shot 74 to miss the level-par cut by four shots, while Walsh was two strokes further back after a 76.
Korea's Hyo Joo Kim shot 70 to lead by four shots on 11 under from Mexico's Gaby Lopez at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club.
At the LET's Australian WPGA Championship, home star Hannah Green shot a four-under 67 to take a two-shot lead over Switzerland's Vanessa Knecht into the final round on 14-under.
She's chasing her third win in a row to start the season at Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club, where Aine Donegan had 35 putts in a third-round 72 to share 34th on one under.
Annabel Wilson was joint 55th on three over after a 72.
Meanwhile, Jorge Campillo and Jordan Gumberg will take a share of the lead into the final round of the Hainan Classic presented by MAEXTRO after reaching 17 under par on Saturday.
Campillo, who started the day two shots off the pace, delivered four birdies on the front nine and another on the back, in a bogey-free round at Mission Hills Haikou.
The Spaniard navigated his second outing on the Blackstone Course in style, making the most of calmer conditions than what he battled yesterday to reduce the deficit and put himself in prime position at the 54-hole mark.
The 39-year-old will look to add to his three DP World Tour victories come Sunday.
