Power overcomes "struggle" to stay in hunt as McDowell fights back in Sony Open
Seamus Power
SÉAMUS POWER dug deep to keep his victory hopes alive in Sony Open as Graeme McDowell battled his way inside the cut line with a battling 66 in Hawaii.
The West Waterford man overcame a scrappy start to card a two-under 68 and end his day tied for fourth on nine-under at Waialae Country Club.
He was six shots behind Russell Henley, who added a 63 to his opening 62 to lead by three shots in the clubhouse from China’s Haotong Li (65) on 15-under but pleased to hang around the lead.
“Today was a bit a of a struggle, to be honest, especially early on,” said Power, who drove into the water left at the second to drop his first shot after 73 bogey-free holes.
“I hit a couple of very loose shots, made a couple of bogeys and was able to recover and kind of turn into a couple under. Kind of kept me in it to some extent, but yeah, just a couple things to tidy up there afterwards.”
As McDowell overcame a double-bogey six at the second and made six birdies in a 66 to jump to teeter dangerously on the cut line on four-under, Power lost control early on but still chiselled out his sixth sub-70 score in a row.
He birdied the third, short-sided himself in a bunker and bogeyed the 204-yard fourth but then played his last 10 holes in three under.
After two-putting the ninth to turn in level par, he birdied the 12th, then got up and down from 94 yards for par at the 13th before chipping to 18 inches at the par-five 18th for a closing birdie.
“It was loose early,” Power admitted. “I just lost control of my flight there and it cost me a couple of shots. So if we can get that back and give myself a few extra chances over the weekend, that’s the plan.”
Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland plays his stroke from the No. 2 tee during Round 1 of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, November 12, 2020.
Power could go to 31st in the world with a win or break into the world’s top 50 with a top-four finish but he knows he faces a tough examination if the wind blows.
“I didn't miss too many fairways today but you get punished pretty quickly,” he said. “Course is in great shape. Rough is up and nasty. I didn't miss too many fairways today but you get punished pretty quickly.
“It's going to be interesting, especially if the wind blows over the weekend. With the wind down, obviously it kind of counters a heavy rough. But it is in great shape. Greens are lovely.”
McDowell racked up a double-bogey six at the second but after staying sharp over Christmas, he was thrilled to make six birdies to get to four-under and leave himself a nervous wait to make the cut.
“I got a really weird lie in the trap on two for my second and had a big lump of sand on it and the ball came out sideways and went right,” McDowell said.
“I hit my greenside bunker shot kind of thin and it shot across the other side of the green and I made six so I was disappointed there.
“But I was really happy to come back and make six birdies in the next 16 holes to give myself a long afternoon and probably a sweaty long afternoon to miss by one [joking], but fingers crossed.”
McDowell took only a short winter break so he would be ready to go in this week’s event and next week’s American Express at La Quinta before heading to the Middle East for the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic and the Saudi International.
“It’s a very important year so I wanted to be ready out of the gates,” said McDowell, whose PGA Tour exemption ends this season.
Still in danger of missing his fourth cut in a row, despite sharing 50th in the clubhouse on four-under, he smiled and said: “It was disappointing to make six at two but I was really happy to come back and make six birdies in the next 16 holes to give myself a long afternoon and probably a sweaty long afternoon to miss by one, but fingers crossed.”
