Seamus Power returned from a three-week maiden Tour victory break to continue his great season form with a 67 on day one of the Wyndham Championship.
Power grabbed four birdies and dropped just one shot in a four-under par tally to be just three off the early Sedgefield Country Club lead in heatwave conditions in suburban Greensboro, North Carolina.
Last month’s Barbasol Championship winner spent time off celebrating with his father and family back home in Ireland before jetting off to Las Vegas to attend the wedding of his cousin, Frank.
Seamus Power looking pretty pleased with himself. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
Though this week’s fifth straight visit to the penultimate event on the 2020/21 PGA Tour schedule ahead of the Play-Offs is like no other for Power.
He teed-up for a first time not only as a Tour winner but at 73rd on the FedEx Cup standings it’s a first year Power has entered the event without the worry of striving to gain full new season membership.
Already, Power’s projected to jump to 71st place and that’s well inside others this week desperate to be inside the top-125 on the money list
“Three-under is not a bad start though it’s been a bit of a struggle the last couple days just kind of getting it together after a couple weeks off, but I was able to get around and actually started hitting it pretty well there on the front nine”, he said.
“Overall, not too bad. Not what I wanted, but I’m in a good spot.
“It’s very hot out there. The golf course is fantastic. The greens are incredible, fast, they’re running as pure as you can possibly have. The rough is thick, I feel like it’s a little thicker than the last few years so you’ve got to be on the fairways.
“So, after a couple of weeks off there’s always a little bit of unknown, but it was not bad. I got here Monday and it was not quite where I wanted to be, but it’s getting closer to where I had it.
“Hopefully another little session here on the range, it will be good to go for tomorrow”.
Also, out early before 8am local time was European Ryder Cup captain, Padraig Harrington and impressing in birdieing three of his closing four holes in a four-under par 66 and also ending his round then inside the top-10.
Overall, Harrington had five birdies in his round and saved the best for last in landing a 171-yard second shot right of the flag and holing his 20-foot birdie putt.
American Russell Hendley, and with a 19-footer for birdie on 18, was the early clubhouse leader in signing for a sizzling eight-under par 62.
And Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney signed for a four-under par 68 to lead the Irish contingent on day one at the Cazoo Open being staged at the London Club in Kent.
Clandeboyne’s Jonathan Caldwell was next best of the Irish at two-under par and on the course where 12-years ago Shane Lowry made his pro debut.
England’s Richard Bland had waited 478 Tour events for a first victory and now five tournaments on ‘Blandy’ heads the Cazoo Classic field.
Bland, 48, posted a bogey-free seven-under par 65 to lead by a shot.
