Seamus Power revealed after missing the halfway cut at the Players Championship, he’ll spend Monday playing a practice round at Augusta National.
It will be only a second time, and since his second event last October, just after the start of the 2022/23 wraparound season that the affable Irishman will sit out the weekend rounds in a Tour event and this week being his 12th start and this after posting scores of 74 and 76 for a six-over tally on the host TPC Sawgrass course.
Seamus Power reveals he’s heading to Augusta on Monday for a first looking since making his Masters debut a year ago.
Included in Power’s second round was two birdies but also five bogeys and a double-bogey.
Hurting Power was a 55% statistic of hitting just 20 of the 36 Sawgrass greens in regulation while his putting stats over the two rounds saw him average 30.5 putts per round, and with his second day’s play seeing him three-putt on a couple of occasions.
“I had another couple of three-putts today and really that’s what killed me,” said Power to friend and AGW colleague, Scott Michaux writing in the Irish Examiner.
“I probably had four or five this week and a couple more from the fringes which is unlike me. Normally a strength of mine and it just wasn’t there this week. I wasn’t on the green and the speed seemed a little bit off and golf is much harder than it is and it adds up to plus-6.
“For a Friday morning it’s about as firm as you’ll see and the wind is blustery,” Power said. “You don’t have to miss a shot by a whole lot. There at 17 and 18 where the wind was slightly across and hurting and you guess wrong and make a couple of quick bogeys and you’re like, ‘Damn, what just happened?’
“I think that’s the beauty of this course, small greens and small targets. You hit the fairway, you fancy your chances and I hit a lot of fairways today but I just wasn’t sharp enough and that’s what happened.”
As indicated, Power along with his caddy and a friend is headed to Augusta, GA on Monday for a first look at next month’s host Masters course since the Irishman finished T27th on his debut in last year’s Masters.
“The forecast is for rain but hopefully it doesn’t,” said Power to Michaux. “We’re going just to have a look and really looking forward to seeing it without the crowds. I played on Sunday before the Masters last year and it was special so I imagine it will be pretty cool on Monday.
“It’ll be nice to see and get a little bit more comfortable because I haven’t played there many times.
“Part of it is to see changes, but it’s just to experience the place really.”
Power also revealed to Michaux, he’s skipping next week’s Valspar Championship ahead of teeing-up a week later in the final hosting of the WGC Match-Play Championship in Austin, TX.
“I’m getting some rest this week and getting ready for the Match Play,” he said.
“I played nicely there last year and it’s a course I like. Obviously then prepare for the Masters.”
