Seamus Power plays a shot on the 11th hole during the first round at the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. on Thursday, June 16, 2022. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)

Séamus Power took another giant leap in his Major career when he chiselled out a hugely impressive 70 to go into the final round of the US Open just five shots behind Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick at Brookline.

The West Waterford man was playing with reigning US PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas and looked the more poised of the two on a tough day at The Country Club where he stiff northerly wind sent scores soaring and he outscored the two-time major champion by two shots to finish the day tied 11th.

The Tooraneena man might have been four-over after four holes but he got up and down for par at the first after failing to see the fairway, then made a 10 footer for bogey at the 217-yard second.

Buried in the right rough, his attempted parachute shot came up short in more deep rough. But he made a 10 footer for bogey there, then got up and down again for par at the third, holing an eight footer.

He was in deep rough off the tee at the fourth but conjured a birdie chance, then parred the next four holes before making eagle at the 560-yard eighth, battering a 339-yard drive into a left to right wind before knocking his 217-yard second to around seven feet.

That catapulted him to tied 20th on level par as he turned in one-under par to Thomas’ two-over 37.

He would drop a shot at the difficult 10th, where he missed the green right and failed to convert a five footer for par. But he was back in the red immediately, knocking in a left-to-right breaking 14 footer for a two at the 141-yard par-three.

He was short with a 15-foot chance at the 12th but after ranking fourth for strokes gained putting for the first two rounds, he hit another bomb at the 13th and rolled in a 16 footer to get to within four of the lead, tied 13th on one-under.

The West Waterford man dropped a shot at the par-five 14th, three-putting from 33 feet.

But he dug deep and made pars at the 15th and 16th only to three-putt the 17th on the line made famous by Justin Leonard’s Ryder Cup putt in 1999, to slip back to level for the day.

He had to made a 12 footer for par at the last but at one-over par, he shares 11th with Denny McCarthy, former US Open champion Gary Woodland, Mattew NeSmith, Aaron Wise and Hayden Buckley.

On possibly challenging for his first Major win, Power is looking forward to the challenge.

"Yes, that is why you practice, to be in contention in a major on a Sunday,” he said. "The crowds are going to be big, you can hear the atmosphere, it should be a lot of fun out there. It is an interesting course because you can get through the first three holes you feel like you have got chances on five, seven and eight and then you are kind of hunkering down for a while again.

"So it is an interesting kind of thing the way the leaderboard will flipflop so hopefully I can get off to a good start and finish it off better than I did today.”

On what he learned in Tulsa, he said: “Every shot is going to be huge and no matter what happens just hang in there. You can make some birdies and you are going to jump past quite a few people if you do.”

While he hasn’t played his best from tee to green, his putting has been outstanding.

"I have made a lot of key putts, even on the last there,::he said. "That is kind of two really good saves on the last, two days ago, massive it makes everything easier, it makes practice easier, it makes dinner easier and just everything a little bit better in the evening and I have done that a few times throughout the round.

"That’s the biggest thing for me because I haven’t played my best long game wise. I am trying to figure my way around it a little bit, so I am going to go to the range for 30 minutes and hopefully get something I can bring out tomorrow.”

Asked if he’d dreamt of this as kid growing up at West Waterford, he said: "Absolutely, that is why you play and practice to see how you’re going to do on the back nine of a major on a Sunday. So looking forward to it."