Houston, Texas ….
For a second week running Seamus Power has put his name high on the leaderboard and doing so in brilliant manner by biriding his closing three holes on day one of the rain-affected Houston Open in suburban Humble.
Power, who finished a PGA Tour career-high of fifth last week in the Dominican Republic, holed a stunning 27-foot birdie putt on the final green in a round of a five-under par 67 to find himself tied with his 2016 Rio Olympic Games team-mate in Padraig Harrington.
Seamus Power birdies his closing three holes to warrant a great interivew after his round of 67 with SKY Sports. (Photo @tourmiss)
While Power produced his lowest opening score in 12 events this 2017/18 season, Harrington toasted his mother’s birthday with a first sub-70 round all year and also after missing the cut in five of his six events in 2018.
Power found himself after his round being requested to speak to SKY Sports, James Haddock and with James delighted in replaying to Power a video clip of the West Waterford golfer’s stunning birdie on 18 and a putt he set-up after hiting a 6-iron into the green.
“I didn’t get a whole lot going on the back nine that was the back nine of the course and while I hit a lot of decent shots, I didn’t get that many close,” he said.
“It wasn’t to the end of my round finishing 2, 4, 2 that was nice but then I missed like an eight-footer for a ‘2’ on the 16th or my seventh hole and to have had four 2s on my card would have been really nice.
“At the last, my two playing partners were on the same side of the hole so I got a good read from their putts and took full advantage.
“The thing is my game has been good the last couple of weeks while last week’s result was really nice and you get a bit of confidence in being in contention as I was last week in the Corales Championship and that’s nice, so much so I came here to Houston for a first time with a lot of confidence and it was nice to contnue that form today.”
Power attributed his good form on day one of the event to a simple set-up change.
“I found something on the range late yesterday and I was very pleased teeing-up today and that is the happiest I have left the range on a Wednesday for a long time,” he said.
“I felt pretty good and all it was a change in the movement of my hips. I had been kind of struggling and it has been hurting my rythmn with no time at the top of my swing and that was the big difference.
Seamus Power’s scorecard ending his rouund 2, 4 and 2 on day one of the Houston Open. (Photo @tourmiss)
“But given the rain overnight and the lift-clean-and-place rule in effect today, the golf course was there very much for the taking.
“This 67 is a good start, a good builing block but then something like 20-under is going to win so I need another three of those if I am going to be in contention.”
