Power chasing anxious Mitchell in Mississippi
Seamus Power plays a shot on the ninth hole during the second round at the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. on Friday, June 17, 2022. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
Seamus Power might have bogeyed two of his last three holes, but a third-round 69 leaves him just six shots behind Keith Mitchell heading into the final round of the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi.
Chasing his third PGA Tour win, Power shares 10th place on 14-under at the Country Club of Jackson with Eric Cole and Gary Woodland.
Mitchell shot a seven-under 65 to lead by a shot on 20-under from Beau Hossler and by two from former Arizona State University star Kevin Yu.
But it's an inexperienced leaderboard when it comes to winning, with Mitchell (32) seeking just his second PGA Tour victory and his first since the 2019 Honda Classic.
The Tennessee native admits he's found it hard to get over the line in a career where he's had just one second-place finish and only five career top threes since 2018.
"I would like to think I could have won more than once with my game and I haven't because I've succumbed to the pressure and tried to force things and did things out of my control," Mitchell said.
"You can't do that. You never know what's going to happen with the guys around you."
While he won the Honda Classic in 2019, he has had just one good chance to win since then.
He held the 54-hole lead at the Valspar Championship earlier this season but closed with a 77 after a nervy start and finished eight shots behind winner Peter Malnati.
"I remember I was in the last group with Rory at Quail Hollow a couple years back," Mitchell said of the pressure in the final group. "Felt like I did a little bit better job there until the last few holes.
"And then Valspar I hit probably the worse two shots of the day on the first two holes and was not able to bounce back from those feelings of fear or anxiety trying to make sure I get it in the fairway or on the green.
"Valspar is a tough golf course and it bit me that day. I felt like I was doing everything physically as best I could and mentally I was a train wreck after the first two holes.
"Learning from that is really all I can do. Only won once and trying to close the door a second time, which has been clearly very difficult for me."
He added: "I would say tomorrow is a completely new day. It's Sunday. Last group. Been there before and failed a bunch on Sundays in the last group or even close.
"I'm hoping I can learn from those mistakes, learn from when I get those feels like what I did wrong then and not to let them happen again."
As for Hossler (29), he's been on tour since 2016 but is still seeking his first win.
Power has work to do to get himself back in the mix, but he has traffic ahead with former US Open champion Lucas Glover, a six-time winner, tied for fourth with 23-year-old rookie Jacob Bridgeman and the winless Bud Cauley, who is returning to action after a three-year injury layoff.
The talented trio of Michael Thorbjornsen, New Zealander Ryan Fox and Daniel Berger are tied for seventh, five shots behind Mitchell on 15-under with Power a further shot back.
The West Waterford man got to within three shots of the lead in round three when he followed a bogey at the second with birdies at the fourth, sixth and seventh and an eagle three at the 11th.
But he bogeyed the 16th after driving into sand and followed another birdie at the 17th with a soft bogey from just off the green at the 18th.
The Toooraneena man is looking to get back into the world's top 50 and after slipping to 119th this week, he has a chance today to edge back into the top 100.
