…  Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

Seamus Power ​ was ​jett​ing​​​ home to Las Vegas slightly disappointed by his efforts this past two weeks but clearly pleased with his game in his debut showing in the Middle East.

Power produced a closing round 69, capped by eagling the pair-5 seventh hole though sandwiched in between two bogeys, while he delighted in playing his 10 holes on four-under with back-to-back birdies at 11 and 12​, and with the ​effort over the four days secur​ing him ​a top-25 finish at 10-under​ in debut at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.​#

“I have really enjoyed the two events, I really have but I just struggled on the greens here at Yas,” he said.

“I had one little hot spell there on Thursday with four birdies in five holes, so it was a bit frustrating on the greens.  I just didn’t hole anything today with an awful bogey on one, and then three-putted the second and three-putt on six, so it’s just one of those sort of days and with a lot of three putts the last couple of rounds.

“Though a lot of good stuff​ with​ my ball-striking is as good as it’s been and at this time of the season is very, very encouraging. Yes, a lot of good stuff”.

And when asked to compare both Abu Dhabi venues, having contested last week’s Hero Cup and a course that hosted the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship from 2006 to 2021, Power​ ​slightly favoured the ‘tighter’ National course.

“Each course is very different and with the challenge of this Yas Links golf course being, as I was saying, in and around the greens while we didn’t play last week’s course set-up as it was normally when the tournament was held at the Abu Dhabi club,” he said.

“Last week was definitely a tougher driving course while this course is more of a fun course and a little more enjoyable with the links element, and the very good kind of faster greens and the complicated slopes with every hole playing differently.

“So, overall it’s been a positive two weeks and while they didn’t go the way I wanted to go, ​ I’m ​leaving here really happy”.

Power, accompanied by his girlfriend Casey Nelson were heading ‘up the road’ to Dubai for a flight home to Las Vegas ahead of Power’s next event and the February 2^nd starting AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and an event he’s contested for the past four years and coming off a T9th a year ago.

“We’re leaving late tonight and get back early Monday morning US time, so a few days off and then head to Pebble,” he said.

“I played well there last year, so I’m looking forward to returning and the challenge the event presents.”

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