Power hits route 66 in California as he chases second PGA Tour win
Séamus Power
SÉAMUS POWER insists he must be aggressive and "go for it” when he can in the final round after a sensational six-under 66 left him just two shots off the lead heading into Sunday's final round of The American Express in California.
Seeking his second PGA TOUR win in the space of six months, the West Waterford man (34) lies in fourth place on 16-under par behind the unheralded American Lee Hodges and Frenchman Paul Barjon, just one good round away from a potential leap into the world's top 30.
Ranked 446th in the world at the end of 2019, the current world number 49 is a phenomenal 105-under par for 31 rounds this season and 55-under par in 2022 alone, averaging an impressive 66.63 for his last 11 rounds.
He admitted he had the luck of the draw this week as he got the more challenging Stadium Course out of the way on Friday, avoiding yesterday's stiff examination.
He took full advantage at La Quinta Country Club in the third round, reeling off four birdies in a row from the second before adding an eagle three at the sixth to briefly tie for the lead.
He three-putted the ninth from short range for his lone bogey of the day, then failed to birdie either of the par-fives on the back nine before rolling in a 45 footer for a two at the tough, 206-yard 15th to card his tenth consecutive round in the 60s.
"Yeah, it was an interesting round, it was very fun on the front there," said Power,” who has six top 25 finishes, including two top-10s in 10 starts since he claimed his maiden win at the Barbasol Championship last July.
"It was one of those rounds you just kind of made everything I looked at for an hour and a half.
"I had a little bit of a hiccup there, three-putted nine from really nowhere at all and didn't take advantage of 11 or 13, but picked one up on 15, which was nice.
"So overall pleased, especially with the wind when we started there, I would have taken six-under when we were starting this morning. So a good spot going into tomorrow."
Playing together all week, Hodges shot an eight-under 64 on the Stadium Course to Barjon's 65 to leave them a shot clear over Tom Hoge, who shot 68 at La Quinta, on 18-under.
Overnight leader Patrick Cantlay struggled on the Stadium Course, battling his way to a level-par 72 to slip four shots behind Hodges and Barjon and Power was relieved to play one of the easier courses in 20 mph winds.
"I don't know what it was like over there this morning, but I wouldn't have fancied being on the Stadium Course, to be honest," said Power, who is ranked first in the field for scrambling with 12 from 13. "I played it yesterday with, I don't know, like a little bit of wind and it was tricky.
"Obviously, there's a little more margin for error out here, which worked out in our favour. But over the course of a season, it always balances out, you're going to get some of them and you're going to get on the wrong side of some of them too, so it kind of is what it is."
With all elements of his game firing on all cylinders since last summer, Power is riding high on confidence and hopes he can simply commit to his shots on Sunday and give himself a chance of a second PGA TOUR win that would secure his place in the Masters and potentially catapult him to second in the FedEx Cup standings.
Thrilled to see his hard work paying off, he said: "It's always great to see it on the golf course, but I've been saying it for a while, my game is in good shape.
"Even when the wind blows like this, I have good control over the ball, which you need out here. You've got to be able to curve it the right way depending on whatever direction the wind is blowing. So it's just a continuation this week, and hopefully, I have it again tomorrow."
As for his game plan for the final round, he knows he can't afford to speculate, given the low-scoring nature of the event.
"I haven't seen the forecast yet, so if the wind blows like this, some of the holes are going to be very, very difficult," he said. "But it's going to be like any tournament in contention - you try and stay in the present, try and take care of your own stuff, even have some cheers and stuff going around the course, but just kind of have to stay patient and wait for your chances."
Remaining in the present is a challenge given the rewards on offer.
The winner will take home $1,368,000 (€1.2 million) and an Invitation to the Masters, but Power reckons he has a good strategy for dealing with those distractions.
"I just make sure before I hit every shot I have as clear a visual as I can, and then I kind of go with it," he said. "Some days it's easier than others and so hopefully tomorrow's one of those days where it's a little easier."
The winning score in The American Express has been an average of almost 24-under par for the past five years, and while he won't set a target and will watch the leaderboards and his playing partners, Power knows he will likely have to go low again in the final round.
"I think so much is going to depend on conditions, but it's going to be take it as it comes," he said of his gameplan. "There's going to be some chances there no matter what. You know you're going to have to go for it at 16 under. I know 16 under is not winning it, so it's going to be go out there and kind of be aggressive when you can and be patient when you have to be."
Asked if he had one wish for the final round, he said: "You hope that those putts that sometimes lip out, lip in. That would make a big difference tomorrow."
Graeme McDowell had to play his last five holes in one-under to make the seven-under cut with a shot to spare after a 73 at the Stadium Course after slipping to two-over for the day through 10 holes.
The Portush star is tied for 45th on eight-under-par alongside Justin Rose