Séamus Power admits he’s never had his head turned when it comes to the LIV Golf conversation, insisting that he’d never risk Ryder Cup goals and Major appearances for the sake of money.
The world number 41, who enjoyed his breakthrough PGA Tour victory at the Barbasol Championship last year, made his Masters debut in April and played in all four Majors this term, the best of which was a T9 finish at the US PGA Championship while he missed the cut just once at The Open in July.
Now with his appetite truly whetted for more opportunities on golf’s biggest stages, not least in a Ryder Cup cycle with Rome 2023 fast approaching, Power has no shortage of motivation fuelling his new campaign which began with a T30 finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Better still, the proud West Waterford man has never been happier with his work.
“I never dreamed of money when it comes to golf,” Power told Independent.ie. “I love playing golf. I love the level of accomplishment and the personal reward you get.
“There’s no guarantee you are ever going to make a Ryder Cup, but at least you can set it out as a huge goal and something you’ve always dreamed of. There was no way I was going to give up on that.
“If you signed up it would be like being in Purgatory – a well-paid Purgatory, yes – but you’d be there in January with 14 events to play and nothing more.”
“I feel like I’ve just had my best couple of years and I want to see where it takes me which is hopefully to Ryder Cups and into more Majors. I wasn’t one of the guys they were throwing numbers at. The unknowns around the Ryder Cup and the Majors, for me that’s too much risk and too much to give up.”
Power returns to action at this week’s Shriners Children’s Open where he’ll be staying at his own place in Las Vegas as he plots another fast start to the PGA Tour season. Determined to play his way to a Ryder Cup debut, Power is under no illusions as to the size of the task at hand, admitting that with just six automatic qualifying spots, he’ll likely need a pick from Captain Luke Donald to find himself in Italy next September, but that won’t put him off in the slightest.
“Guys like Rory, Rahm and Hovland eat up world ranking points and the fact I won’t play as much in Europe means realistically for someone like me, you’re probably going to be looking towards a pick,” he said.
“But you want to do the right things and make sure you’ve done everything to be in the best spot for a pick. Every European just dreams of playing the Ryder Cup. It won’t be at the back of my mind but right at the forefront of my mind for the next 12 months so hopefully I can play good golf and give myself a chance to make that team.
“If I can get high enough in the world rankings, it almost forces their hand into picking you. It’d be some spectacle to be a part of.”
Leave a comment