Power leads; McDowell lurks; Lowry rallies
Seamus Power
Seamus Power snatched a share of the clubhouse lead as Shane Lowry mounted a spirited second round comeback in the weather-delayed Wells Fargo Championship at Eagle Point Golf Club.
Rookie Power added a one under 71 in blustery conditions to his opening 68 to lead on five under par alongside American Billy Hurley (70-69) with John Peterson (12 holes) and Francesco Molinari (11) also on five under when play was suspended for the day due to darkness.
Seven inches of overnight rain led to a delay in play but Power showed his liking for the course and his ability to manufacture shots in the wind as he mixed four birdies with three bogeys.
"You just have to come to terms with the fact that the ball is not going to go the distances it normally does," Power told the Golf Channel another good putting round (28 putts).
"Being used to flighting the ball up and down and from left to right and right to left does help. It's a little different here because in links golf you can run the ball in and it's going to be okay.
"Here, if you land short, it is going to stay short. So it's completely different but having that comfort level mentally is where the advantage comes."
Asked about how his thinking might change now that he can potentially contend for his first PGA Tour win, Power showed his sense of humour as he realised he was straying into cliché territory.
"From the minute I got to this golf course, I've had a good idea of where I want to hit it. So it is just a question of executing and hitting the spots and staying patient," he said. "That's a lot of clichés in one sentence but it just a golf course where you can't go at all the pins. There are spots where if you hit it in the rough, you cannot get within 30 feet of the pin.
"You have to trust you can get up and down from the right spot or maybe make a good two putt. So it is going to be doing the same things I have been doing the next couple of days and hopefully the putts drop."
Graeme McDowell is lurking, tied for 23rd on two-under after a pair of 71s. But Irish eyes are watching to see if Lowry can make the cut.
He was 116th starting the day, then slipped to six over with two bogeys in his first four holes.
But he rallied with four birdies in eight holes from the 17th (his eighth) and will resume on one-over in a share of 58th with three holes to play.
