Power shows patience to hit Route 66 in Abu Dhabi
Séamus Power
SÉAMUS POWER might say he's got work to do to make Luke Donald's Ryder Cup team but he looks every bit a sure thing after roaring into contention for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship with an impressive 66.
The West Waterford man's lofty world ranking, stellar PGA Tour schedule and consistent form suggest it will be difficult to see him failing to make it to Rome.
Despite winning just one point from four in last week's Hero Cup, Power impressed many and he showed patience and class when he followed eight straight pars with five birdies in six scintillating holes before adding another at the eighth.
Power's six-under 66 left him solo fourth, just two shots behind Donald, who reeled off nine birdies in an eight-under 64 to lead by a shot from Italy's Guido Migliozzi and Australia's Jason Scrivener.
The Tooraneena star credits his hot form over the last 18 months to his work with mental coach Dr Bob Rotella, which paid off yesterday as he remained patient after a slow start.
"It's huge," the world number 29 said of Rotella's input. "It simplified some of the things and reinforces some of the things that you always heard. But to put them into practice is the biggest thing.
"To do that today, eight straight pars, wasn't going particularly well, nothing really happened. But you keep doing the same things over and over knowing they are the right things, and good things will eventually happen."
Shane Lowry was determined not to lose confidence after going pointless in the Hero Cup and he found his putting touch and made three birdies and an eagle three at the par-five second in a 67 that left him tied fifth.
"I'm pretty happy to be honest," Lowry said. "I obviously played The Hero Cup last week, and I didn't play as well or make as many points as I would have liked.
"You're coming out here, first round of the year with a scorecard in your pocket; you don't really know how it's going to go. Good to get out and play some good golf, and to hole some putts toward the end was nice."
He added: "It was important not to lose too much confidence from last week, and it's important to get this year off to a good start. I feel like I did that today."
Pádraig Harrington (51) looked set to challenge the leaders when he eagled the seventh to go four-under. But he three-putted the eighth and followed a birdie at the 10th with eight pars, including another three-putt at the 18th.
The Dubliner is tied for 12th with LIV Golf's Henrik Stenson, who returned to the DP World Tour for the first time since being stripped of the Ryder Cup captaincy.
The Saudi-backed league yesterday confirmed it's signed a TV deal with the CW Network, and Stenson believes they will win their court case in the US next month.
"The way I look at it, when all of us went to play on the PGA Tour back in the day, we shouldn't have been welcomed back either then," the Swede said when asked LIV players coming back to the DP World Tour. "There's multiple tours in the world and as far as I'm concerned, as long as you fulfill your criteria and earn your right to be there, you should be able to play in as many tournaments as you like."
In Florida, Leona Maguire opened with a one-under 71 to lie tied ninth, four shots behind Canada’s Brooke Henderson in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona.
