“I'm just not quite putting it together” — Power patiently waiting for his game to click
Seamus Power believes he’s close to playing his best stuff but likely faces a few weeks off before he can get a run of events on the PGA Tour.
It was not the weekend the Toorneena man had in mind at the Valspar Championship in Florida, where rounds of 70 and 72 left him in the pack, tied for 30th on two-under, nine shots behind winner Matt Fitzpatrick.
“It's disappointing because my game is right there,” said Power, who won’t get into the field for the Texas Children's Houston Open this week and will likely have to Monday qualify for the Valero Texas Open next week.
“I'm just not quite putting it together. It's just frustrating because there's a lot of good stuff and not even really many mistakes.”
Power’s hopes of a Sunday charge were derailed by double bogeys on the second and fourth at Innisbrook’s tough Copperhead Course, but he rallied with three birdies in his last ten holes to shoot 72.
“Early today, I just kind of compounded a couple of errors, and even yesterday, it was one under and could have easily been three, four or five under.
“And today, one over, when it could have easily been two or three under. So it wouldn't be a weekend of what ifs, but more decent stuff, just not putting it all together, I suppose, is the easiest way to go.”
Power (39) lost his fully exempt status last season by finishing outside the top 100 in the FedExCup, but he’s shown signs he's close to his best this year by making six of seven cuts and contending in the Farmers Insurance Open.
“I'm playing a lot of steady and consistent golf, but again this week, I never really got anything going where it's like, man, all of a sudden something goes in,” he said.
“It was just one of those weeks where those 15-20 footers, where you can almost turn a good round into a very good one, they didn't quite go in.
“But look, it's a tough golf course, and it's just hard to get much going here. It's hard to chase here, so you're just trying to make some of those putts, and didn't quite make enough.”
With the Masters approaching and three Signature Events scheduled between the Masters and the PGA Championship, he knows he may have to wait until the THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson in mid-May to start a good run of events.
“It's been a long stretch on the road after four in a row,” he said. “So I'll take it easy for a few days and kind of reevaluate.
“I'll do the Monday qualifier for Valero next week, as it doesn't look like I'm getting in to that one on my number. And then go from there. It's a long stretch then with the elevated events in a row.
“So unless I can kind of do something, I'll probably have a pretty quiet couple of months.
“But then I know it'll be very hectic from Byron Nelson onwards. I looks like it's going to be really busy, so we'll do our best.
“Even with Brooks [Koepka] playing, I think I'm sixth alternate for Houston and maybe fifth alternate for San Antonio, so I'm unlikely to get in, unless something dramatic were to happen with a few guys.”
As for the tournament, Englishman Fitzpatrick (31) closed with a three under 68, rolling in a 30-footer at the 15th and a 14-footer at the last for birdies to set the target.
He started the day three shots behind Sungjae Im, but his 11-under total proved enough to secure his third PGA TOUR win by a shot from David Lipsky, who shot 70.
