Seamus Power continued on his winning ways, brilliantly taking down World No. 4 Patrick Cantlay on day two at the WGC – Dell Technologies Match-Play in Austin, Texas.
The World No. 48 ranked Power was never behind in his match against the reigning FedEx Cup champ, winning 5 & 4 and the same score for a second day running on the host Austin Country Club course.
Power beat South Korean Sunjae Im on Thursday, and with both his matches now ending at the 14th hole.
With two wins, Power is top of his group with four points and needs, at worst, just to tie Friday’s match against American Kevin Mitchell to win his group and advance to the last 16 in the Euro 10.9 event. If Power should lose, he needs for Im to either lose or tie his match against Cantlay to be assured of advancing.
It was first blood to Power against the more-fancied Cantlay after the American got a second shot flyer from the rough down the first in taking a bogey ‘5’.
Power got out of jail at the third, missing the green left but chipping to 15-feet to save par and square the hole, and importantly remain 1 up. He went 2 up with a par at the fifth, and while losing the sixth to a birdie, Power wrapped up the outward half with a par at the ninth, and back to 2 up after Cantlay made a total mess in taking a double-bogey ‘6’.
The duo headed to the 10th with Cantlay recording 15 outward nine putts, including three one-putts in succession from the sixth while Power battled with the short stick posting 18 putts, and was not helped by a three-putt in losing the sixth.
However, Power then won the 10th with a par to move to 3 up and was soon after was 4 up when Cantlay found water at the 13th and conceded the hole to his Irish rival.
Power was handed the match 5 & 4 when Cantlay horribly two-putted the 14th for a bogey ‘5’.
“It was an interesting match as the course was playing tricky today, and it’s really starting to dry out and firm-up and the key was that I just didn’t make too many mistakes”, he said.
“Patrick, obviously, wasn’t on his best golf so I took advantage and now I move on.
The Irishman was asked what has been pleasing about his game in recent weeks and remarked: “It’s been just a little bit of everything and a little more peace of mind, and knowing a bit more what I am doing with my game. That helps in kind of settling down the mind a little bit. A quieter mind is always a good thing out of the golf course”.
Power now faces American Kevin Mitchell in Friday’s final round-robin match. Mitchell, who tied his opening match with Cantlay on Thursday, lost out to Im 5 & 3 in round two.
The group standing is as follows:
Power – 2 wins – 4 points
Im – I win, 1 loss – 2 points
Mitchell – 1 half, 1 loss – 1 point
Cantlay – 1 half, 1 loss – 1 point
