Power heads to New Orleans with glass half full after Korn Ferry top-10

Seamus Power

Seamus Power will head for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans this week with good feelings about his game despite fading to tied ninth following a closing 74 in the Korn Ferry Tour’s MGM Resorts Championship at Paiute in Las Vegas.

The West Waterford man (34) went into the final round just three shots behind Peter Uihlein. But while he birdied the par-five third and seventh, he bogeyed the ninth and double-bogeyed the 13th and 14th to fall out of contention.

He eventually finished birdie-birdie-bogey to card a two-over 74 and finish eight strokes behind Uihlein, whose 69 gave him a four-shot win over David Lipsky and Jamie Lovemark on 16-under.

Power had 33 putts on the final day but after making 20 birdies over the four rounds, he will tee it up at TPC Louisiana with Canadian David Hearn this week looking for at least a repeat of last year, when they tied for fifth in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, just six shots behind Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer.

As for the MGM Resorts Championship at Paiute Uihlein ran away with his second career Korn Ferry Tour victory.

“Very difficult, the wind was relentless,” said Uihlein. “But I got off to a dream start…To get off to that good of a start on the front nine, and I would say the first six are probably the more challenging holes out here, so getting off to a good start was big for me. I couldn’t cruise because it was still really difficult, but I was able to be more conservative.”

Entering the day with a one-stroke lead, Uihlein carded a 4-under 32 in windy conditions on the front nine to distance himself from the competition. The Oklahoma State alum held a lead of four to six strokes throughout the back nine.

“I had a par drip in on No. 14,” said Uihlein of the moment he started to believe it was his day. “It just really dripped in the front, it had no business going in. I think when I got to 16 tee, I felt like those last three holes weren’t going to be as difficult. I guess the 17th was still difficult, but 16 and 18 weren’t overly demanding so I felt like I was in good position.”