Fresh off making his Dubai Duty Free Irish Open debut at Lahinch, it was straight back to business for Seamus Power on the PGA Tour this week at the John Deere Classic.
Power, who dropped 4 places down to 129th on the FedEx Cup standings by skipping the PGA Tour last week for his trip home, carded a second round 65 to leap up 45 spots into a tie for 11th heading into moving day at TPC Deere Run.
Through 13 holes of his round Power was sitting right on the projected cut mark of -3 when he kicked into gear driving to the edge of the green on the 374 yard par-4 , 14th hole. The Waterford man chipped in for an eagle two and followed that up with birdies on his last three holes.
The 65 leaves Power on -8, just five shots adrift of halfway leader Jhonattan Vegas who posted a blistering 62. Vegas had been off since missing the cut at the U.S. Open in June but the three-time PGA Tour winner from Venezuela said he “found something really good” on the range Thursday after an opening 67.
“Probably the best I’ve felt all year, to be honest,” Vegas said. “I hit the ball extremely well, kind of what I’ve been struggling with a little bit the past few months. It felt really good, in control the whole time with the ball-striking, which is my type of game. So I’m glad that stuff is back.”
“It’s usually soft, and it’s been a little firmer because of the conditions, obviously a little warm,” Vegas said. “It’s the best I’ve ever seen it. The greens are perfect. The fairways are rolling more. It’s actually a little bit tricky because a lot of the fairways, as undulated as they are, you have to be a little careful with some of those run-outs.”
Andrew Landry was second after his second 65 with Lucas Glover who had an albatross on the par-5 10th in a 64 that got him to 11 under. He holed out with a 3-iron from 255 yards after a 318-yard drive.
“Honestly, I was trying to hit it over short left, chip up the green, and I pushed it 5, 8 yards, and it bounced and rolled and I guess it went in. I didn’t see it,” Glover said. “I was just trying to make birdie, and I got lucky with a 2.”
Harold Varner III (65), Russell Henley (68), Daniel Berger (66), Cameron Tringale (66) and Adam Schenk (65) were 10 under. Like Power, Varner chipped in for eagle from 42 yards on the par-4 14th.
“I hit a really good drive in the rough and it was perfect, and I blasted it and it went too far and smashed the pin and went in,” Varner said. “It was awesome.”
First-round leader Roberto Diaz closed with a double bogey for a 73 that left him at 7 under. Matthew Wolff, the rookie who won last week in Minnesota at the 3M Open, was 4 under after a 71.
Power is paired with American Bronson Burgoon in round three with a 17:05 tee time later today.
Round 2 Highlights
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