Power Insists He’s Not A Globetrotting Rory McIlroy: “My Goal Is To Keep My PGA Tour Card”.

10 months ago by Comments Off on Power Insists He’s Not A Globetrotting Rory McIlroy: “My Goal Is To Keep My PGA Tour Card”.

Seamus Power is as Irish as it comes – he was born in Waterford, his family home is in Waterford, he learnt to play golf at the West Waterford Golf Club, he loves an odd pint of the ‘black stuff’ and he’s as friendly and engaging as any Irishman you’ll meet.

In his late teens Power was recruited to play college golf at East Tennessee State University where he won five times including the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship in 2007 and 2010.

A year later in 2011 he turned pro but it was competing in the States that attracted him, enjoying two top-10 finishes on the Web.com Tour in 2015 and finished 72nd on the money list, re-earning a card for 2016.  In May 2016, he won the United Leasing & Finance Championship, becoming the first Irish player to win on the Web.com Tour.  Due the likes of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell choosing not to travel to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games Power joined Padraig Harrington in representing Ireland.

After a continuing lean period competing on the secondary tour Power finally earned full PGA Tour membership and then in July 2021, and at the sixth extra play-off hole he proudly won his maiden PGA Tour title at the Barbasol Championship.

Two years ago, Power travelled to Bermuda and proceeded to post three rounds of 65 along with a tournament record of 28 birdies and become a proud double Tour winner with victory in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

And now he’s returned for a first time since his win after an injury last year forced him out of teeing-up as defending champ.

However, unlike most European-born players Power did not draw on his hard-fought PGA Tour status to cross The Pond and play events on the DP World Tour.  In fact, Power has teed-up in just four regular DP World Tour events in the past three years – Irish Open (2022 and ’24, Scottish Open (2022 – Played this year as a PGA/DPWT sanctioned event) and the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship).

So, while McIlroy talks of cutting back his playing schedule from what will be 27 events this year, and his most since 2010 to around 22, Power will continue to average around 26 or 27 a season though this week’s event will be his 28th of the year.

But as Power says this is how it must be if he is keep his hard-fought PGA Tour job and despite the lure to compete more in Europe.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s always tricky”, he said in being asked ahead of this week’s Bermuda event.

“I’ve always said this, I would have loved to have played more in Europe, but for me, I’m not on the level of some of those — obviously like the likes of Rory can play both tours because he racks up so many points in majors and when he goes to Europe he has wins or he’s close to winning and he wins over here.

“It’s just different for me. I mean, realistically for my every year I’m starting out, my No. 1 goal is to keep my card on the PGA TOUR. It’s been an amazing experience to play on the PGA TOUR for me and I’m trying to extend that as long as I can. That’s always going to be goal
No. 1.

“If I got to a point where if I come out early next year was to win especially an elevated event or you have your goals locked up over here, you’d love to go play in more.

“I mean, DP World Tour has been great to me the last few years, they’ve given me some spots. Obviously for me getting to play closer to home, it’s cool. I got to play a couple events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai last year, which was really cool, but it’s always going to be tough.

“My No. 1 goal is you’re trying to keep your job and for me the best way of doing that, at least like for the foreseeable future, is going to keep my card on the PGA TOUR. Maybe things will change. I know there’s going to be some changes coming down the pipeline, maybe you
get pushed out or whatever, but I love playing professional golf so I’m going to play wherever I can really”.

What will change is the Bermuda weather forcast for this week compared to two years ago when Power took full advantage of the glorious conditions and hole out for birdie on 28 occasions – a Bermuda tournament record.

“It’s great to be back in a venue where I’ve won before. Yeah, it’s special, all the memories”, he said.

“You remember all your shots pretty clearly. It seems kind of strange for that, you remember exactly what you did especially in the last round, so it’s been cool. It wasn’t as windy as this a couple years ago, so it was a little different of a golf course, but yeah it’s great to be back
and all those kind of memories come flooding back, a lot of good times here”.

Well Seamus and wishing you all the luck of the Irish this week.

 



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