Power proudly holds his head high despite missing last four in Texas

Bernie McGuire
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Seamus Power (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Bernie McGuire

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Seamus Power left the Lone Star State with his head proudly held high despite the disappointment of missing-out on a semi-final start at the WGC – Dell Match-Play in Austin, Texas.

Power went down 3 & 2 to World No. 5 Scottie Scheffler but he comes away with a golf bag brimming with positives, none better than knowing his next event is the 2022 Masters.

The 35-year-old should jump five places to a career high of World No. 43 and with that the assurance of a first Masters and a maiden major appearance.

play-sharp-fill

And while Power was disappointed to bow out of the Euro 10.9m event, this week’s first real appearance on the golf’s world stage was the stuff of dreams, with Power endearing himself to those sitting back and watching him competing against the game’s best.

Golfers had been hearing his name being mentioned more often but here four days, and particularly his last eight match-up, we saw just how good a player is, and this since his first PGA Tour victory last July.

On his way to losing out to Scheffler, he defeated top Korean Sungjae Im, reigning FedEx Cup champ Patrick Cantlay, and while losing to Keith Mitchell, Power regrouped to hand double European Ryder Cup star Tyrrell Hatton an early Saturday morning 4 & 3 golfing wake-up call.

“It was a good week. I played nicely on the front today but with the back nine a bit disappointing to lose but that’s golf at times,” said Power.

“Yeah, it was a fun week.  It’s my first time playing this tournament, so overall it’s been a positive appearance.

“My confidence was high coming into the week but again, it’s funny you lose but it’s still been a good week. It’s an unusual feeling but it’s been a good finish in a very good field so there is something positive in that but then in an hour’s time I will be able to see a lot more positives.”

Power has elected not to contest this coming week’s Valero Texas Open and instead, chill out at home in Las Vegas before that first journey to Augusta National as a rookie making his Masters debut.

“I will go back to Las Vegas and then go to The Masters, hopefully as it looks very good, starting the Sunday before”.

Power was the first to book his place in Saturday afternoon’s last eight.

Though he was already five holes into match when the last eight was confirmed, after Will Zalatoris won out over Kevin Na at the fourth extra hole.

As a result, Power found himself the lone non-North American in the last eight with five Americans, a Canadian and a Mexican also making it to the quarter-finals.

The now likely World No. 43 ranked Power quickly showed that the recent Arnold Palmer Invitational winner was not about to have all his own way in matching Scheffler with four opening pars.

All square after 4.

Though the early four-holes deadlock was broken at the par-4 fifth where Scheffler chipped-in from some 20-feet for the first birdie of the match, and went 1 up.  The World No. 5 then hit a booming 402-yard effort at the sixth, ahead of sending his second just six-feet shy of the flag. Power found a greenside bunker with his second and after missing his own birdie putt, he conceded Scheffler’s birdie to be now 2 down.

Scheffler 2 up after 6

But as so many commentators had stated already this week, that match-play is a vastly different golfing to normal stroke-play, Power showed this by winning both the eighth and ninth hole to be back to all-square.

Power grabbed the eighth with a par to Scheffler’s clumsy bogey, and then grabbed the first birdie of his round, a second shot to six-feet and with his rival two-putting for par.

All square after 9

Nine holes remaining, and Power hopefully fewer holes away from victory.

It was pars for each at 10 and 11 but with Power horribly finding the water at the back of the green at the par-5 12th, and after laying-up 107-yards short with his second shot.

Scheffler back to 1 up after 12

Scheffler took the ‘Tiger Route’ at the boomerang-shaped par-4 13th and cleared the water. He would be rewarded with a birdie ‘3’ while Power found the centre of the fairway on his way to a par. Power was close to crossing a footbridge at the back of 12 in signalling to Scheffler’s 10-footer was good

Scheffler 2 up after 13 

It was pars for each at both 14 and 15, and sadly Power probably playing his poorest shot in four days found the water with his drive down the left of the 16th, and with Scheffler brilliantly wrapping-up the match holing his 91-foot chip shot for an eagle ‘3’.

Scheffler wins the hole & the match 3 & 2

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