Irish professional golfer Séamus Power believes he is nearing his optimal performance level, though he anticipates a brief hiatus before he can embark on a consistent sequence of PGA Tour events.
The Valspar Championship in Florida did not yield the results the Toorneena native had hoped for. Rounds of 70 and 72 placed him in a tie for 30th at two-under-par, nine shots behind the eventual winner, Matt Fitzpatrick.
“It’s disheartening because my game is right there,” Power commented. He will not secure a spot in this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open and will likely need to participate in the Monday qualifier for the Valero Texas Open next week.
He added, “I’m just not quite integrating all the elements. It’s frustrating because there’s a lot of strong play and very few actual errors.”
Power’s aspirations for a significant Sunday climb were thwarted by double bogeys on the second and fourth holes of Innisbrook’s demanding Copperhead Course. Despite this setback, he rallied with three birdies across his final ten holes to post a round of 72.
Reflecting on his play, Power explained, “Early today, I compounded a couple of mistakes, and even yesterday, I finished one under when it could easily have been three, four, or five under. Similarly, today, I was one over when I could have comfortably been two or three under. It’s not so much a weekend of ‘what ifs,’ but rather a collection of decent efforts that just didn’t come together seamlessly, I suppose, is the simplest way to describe it.”
The 39-year-old lost his fully exempt status last season after concluding outside the top 100 in the FedExCup standings. However, he has displayed signs of returning to form this year, making six out of seven cuts and contending at the Farmers Insurance Open.
“I’m playing a lot of steady and consistent golf, but again this week, I never truly generated any momentum where it felt like things were suddenly falling into place,” he said. “It was one of those weeks where those 15-20 foot putts, which can often transform a good round into an excellent one, just weren’t dropping. But it’s a tough golf course, and it’s inherently difficult to build momentum here. Chasing scores is hard, so you’re constantly trying to convert those crucial putts, and I just didn’t make enough.”
With the Masters on the horizon and three Signature Events scheduled between the Masters and the PGA Championship, Power understands he may have to wait until THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson in mid-May to truly begin a consistent series of tournaments.
“It’s been an extended period on the road after playing four events consecutively,” he noted. “So, I’ll take it easy for a few days to reevaluate my plans.”
“I’ll participate in the Monday qualifier for Valero next week, as it appears unlikely I’ll gain entry based on my current number. From there, it’s a long stretch with several elevated events back-to-back.”
He anticipates, “Unless I can achieve something significant soon, I’ll probably have a fairly quiet couple of months. However, I know it will become incredibly busy from the Byron Nelson onwards. It looks like it’s going to be packed, so we’ll just do our best.”
Power added, “Even with Brooks Koepka playing, I believe I’m the sixth alternate for Houston and potentially the fifth alternate for San Antonio, so it’s improbable I’ll get into those events unless a few players dramatically withdraw.”
Regarding the tournament itself, Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick, 31, concluded with a superb three-under 68, sinking a 30-foot putt on the 15th and a 14-footer on the final hole for crucial birdies, setting an imposing target.
Fitzpatrick began the day three strokes adrift of Sungjae Im, but his impressive 11-under total proved sufficient to secure his third PGA TOUR victory by a single shot over David Lipsky, who carded a 70.
