McDowell predicts long career for big-hitting Power

Seamus Power

Graeme McDowell was seriously impressed by Seamus Power in the Bermuda Championship and predicts a long career for the West Waterford man on the PGA Tour.

The 2010 US Open champion (42) tied for 12th with Power in Southampton on Sunday and the pair will continue their quest for a Masters spot in this week's star-studded $7.2 million World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba in Mexico before rounding off the year with appearances in the Houston Open and the RSM Classic.

"He's very good," McDowell said after playing with Power for the first three rounds in Bermuda. "I actually apologised to him, saying I was sorry that it had taken this long to play some competitive golf together.

"We may have played a few practice holes together somewhere, but last week was a first in playing a serious, competitive game in each other's company.

"So, it was really good to be grouped with him for three of the four days. He's really strong off the tee. He's also a very good chipper of the ball.

"To me, Seamus is the archetypal PGA Tour player. He's strong off the tee, drives it exceptionally well and has a very tidy short game. I think he will have a long PGA Tour career just for those two facets alone."

Both men face stiff competition in Mexico where Shane Lowry makes his debut in an event featuring US Ryder Cup stars Justin Thomas and Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Viktor Hovland of Norway.

Meanwhile, Pádraig Harrington heads the Irish challenge in this week's Portugal Masters in Vilamoura, where he is joined by Jonathan Caldwell with Cormac Sharvin the first reserve.

Harrington is 68th in the Race to Dubai and with another start to come in next week's AVIV Dubai Championship, he's looking to break into the top 50 who will contest the $9 million, season-ending DP World Tour Championship where 17th-ranked Shane Lowry and 19th-ranked Rory McIlroy are expected to return to action.

On the LPGA Tour, Stephanie Meadow has secured a sponsor's invitation to join Leona Maguire in next week's final counting Pelican Women's Championship in Florida.

The Jordanstown star is ranked 101st in the Race to CME Globe standings but must make the top 100 to secure her card for 2022 and avoid a trip to the Q-Series.

On the PGA Tour Champions, Darren Clarke defends the TimberTech Championship on The Old Course at Broken Sound in Florida.