Power grabs clubhouse lead in Puerto Rico: "I’m pretty pleased"
Seamus Power. Picture: PGA Tour
Seamus Power posted his best round on the PGA Tour this season to move into contention in the Puerto Rico Open.
The West Waterford star (33) carded a five-under 67 in squally conditions at Grand Reserve Country Club to lead on the clubhouse on 10-under par just before play was suspended.
“I played nicely the winds kind of died now but when we were in the middle of the round it was really blowing,” said Power, who birdied the second and third, three-putted the fourth for his lone bogey but then birdied the seventh to turn in 34.
“I’m pretty pleased,” added Power who has made just one cut from his first six starts of the 2020-21 season. “I didn’t play the par fives as well as I would’ve liked oh but overall I had a nice round and hopefully another good one tomorrow.”
The man from Tooraneena had a solid back nine, picking up shots at the 12th, 14th and par-three 16th in blustery conditions and occasional showers.
“It was interesting. We got three rain showers on the course. One early on the fourth when it rained for nearly two minutes but the wind didn’t die. We got another one on the 15th and the wind didn’t die. And then it‘s starting to mist now and the wind died. It’s changing conditions but growing up in Ireland you get used to changing conditions. You go from having a 25 mile an hour help on 16 to almost no help on 18. You’re adjusting as you go.”
Power had 11 single putts in a 26-putt round, hitting eight of 14 fairways and 13 greens and bar his three-putt at the fourth, he scrambled for par five times out of five.
What pleased him most was his birdie at the 14th, which he’d bogeyed on the previous two days.
“I had a different club off the tee — a three wood — so the change of strategy worked. it’s always kind of nice when you see something pay off. Overall I like the course I’ve always felt kind of comfortable here. So it’s just more about hitting some good shots.”
Pádraig Harrington had a tougher day at the office, slipping from tied 37th to 63rd on one-under after a one-over 73.
He birdied the par-five second and fifth but double-bogeyed the sixth, then bogeyed the 12th and 13th before getting a shot back at the par-three 16th.
Europe’s Ryder Cup skipper hit seven fairways and 11 greens in regulation, taking 29 putts.
