Seamus Power has returned home triumphant to his beloved West Waterford Golf Club following last week’s maiden success on the PGA Tour and confirmed he will contest next year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.
The new Barbasol Championship winner jetted into Ireland on Thursday and, after meeting-up with his father Ned the pair headed off to West Waterford for a welcome home reception.
“This place is as close to a home as something can be,” Seamus told MC Kieran O’Connor, as reported in the Irish Examiner.
Seamus had lost his mother when only eight years of age and his father thanked the club for the way they treated his son.
“When Mam died, Seamus made this place his home and he was more than welcome here. He never had to pay for a bit of food,” said Ned Power.
He was emotional when Seamus left the Déise for East Tennessee University to pursue his dream.
“It hit me in Shannon when he was going out. I couldn’t hold back the tears when I said goodbye to him. That was a lonely time.”
The Irish Examiner also reported earlier in the day, the Powers got another hero’s welcome in their home village of Touraneena.
A hoarse Seamus admitted that it’s been a hectic time celebrating since jetted back. “You can probably hear it in my voice!”
The 34-year old Power, who had been knocking on victory’s door in recent weeks, triumphed in a six-hole play-off last Sunday over American J. T. Poston, who is again in contention at this week’s 3M Open in Minnesota.
“One of the things I’m practicing at the moment is to not look at leaderboards and it seems to be helping me this summer,” said Power.
“If I’m being honest, there was no point during the day that I thought I was going to win it. I thought J.T. was running away with it. When I birdied the last, I thought it was big because I thought it might get myself second place which would have locked up my card.”
And Ned Power was naturally delighted to see his son win, even though the result was not known till well after 2am Irish time last Monday.
“Oh my god, so many tears I had to suppress when he won it. I’ve been there as a dad through thick and thin,” he said.
As reported in winning in Kentucky, Power became the sixth Irishman to win on the PGA Tour and it comes just on four years since he teamed with Padraig Harrington to represent Ireland at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“Sometimes things click at different times. This summer has definitely been the best golf I’ve played,” said Power.
“It’s a funny job, this will be the first time I’ll know what I’m doing next year for work.
“I’ll be able to plan on coming home for the Irish Open which I wasn’t able to do this summer. I’m not going to play the next couple of weeks, I’ll probably need it to recover! I’m going to play the Wyndham Championship in three weeks’ time and hopefully then into the play-offs. The fall, I don’t have a clue. It’s all new to me. I’m going to spend a bit more time at home and go from there.”
Power last contested an Irish Open in 2019 and indeed made his European Tour debut at the 2005 Nissan Irish Open.
And the Examiner indicated Power will be in Semple Stadium on Saturday to cheer on the Waterford hurlers. “I don’t get to go to as many matches as I’d like to. I can’t wait.”
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