Double PGA Tour winning Seamus Power will seek the advice of three European Ryder Cup captains in a goal not to fall into any selection trap that could spoil a chance of making the Rome team.
Power effectively moved into third place on the 2023 ‘World’ points European selection points table, and with top-3 qualifiers on both the ‘European’ and ‘World’ table to win automatic selection for Luke Donald’s side. Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry are top-3 but they currently top the ‘European’ table.
Donald will then choose six ‘wildcard’ picks to make-up the 12-man team he’ll take later next year to the Italian capital.
And to avoid any new season competition scheduling nightmares, as we’ve seen in the past including young Scot Robert MacIntyre spoil qualifying for Padraig Harrington’s Whistling Straits team by choosing to head to the States instead of staying in Europe in an unsuccessful attempt at securing his PGA Tour card, Power’s going to be talking with both Donald and Harrington as well as victorious 2014 captain Paul McGinley on where to play to boost a now strong goal to make Donald’s side.
“That is one of the things I am going to definitely talk to Luke about,” Power said ahead of this week’s Mayakoba Championship in Mexico.
“There is a tricky balance playing over here in the States and this is where my latest win helps, as you are going to have to at least focus on staying in that top-60 on the FedEx Cup at the end of the season. You want to be aware of that and my second win will help take care of that.
“This is why I am going to talk to Luke about my new-season schedule as he played a lot of his career in the US, so he is going to be good to talk to.
“I remember in 2016 when I was in Rio for the Olympic Games golf and Paul McGinley (Irish Team Captain) was telling me about a golfer who would have been given a Ryder Cup pick if he had of gone and shown a lot more interest if he had teed-up in the Made in Denmark in the week close to the end of Ryder Cup qualifying and the player didn’t go and didn’t get the pick.
“So, I don’t want a situation like that and that’s why I will seek Luke’s advice while I will also talk to Paul and Padraig, with both being former Ryder Cup captains as to what they would like to see from a guy based in the US but still wants to play for Europe in a Ryder Cup. So, I will be talking to those guys before locking-in my new schedule.
“As I’ve said, this second win helps a lot, gives me more flexibility going forward.”
With that in mind, and with Power being exempt on the PGA Tour till the end of 2024/25 season, he is planning to contest the two opening 2023 DP World Tour events in Abu Dhabi – the January 13-15 Hero Cup and the following week’s HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship.
Then there’s the Hero Cup which is a 12-man, two-team, all-European event replacing the Seve Trophy (2000-2013) and the EurAsia Cup (2014-2018), with this new event also looking to serve as a possible selection guide for Ryder Cup competition.
“I spoke briefly with Luke last Wednesday night at the pre-tournament party held in the Bermuda hotel and he mentioned this new event and he mentioned some of the details about it, GB&I vs. Europe team event and just some of the options I might have,” said Power.
“My manager also is going to look into the Abu Dhabi Championship and in that way, the trip would be worthwhile as it’s a long way to go just one event.”
Power is the lone Irishman in this week’s $US 8.2m event in Mexico.
Two’s company as Power looks to make it a crowd
Seamus Power will soon move into a new dwelling with an extra companion to place on show – the Butterfield Bermuda Championship trophy.
Power’s second win in last Sunday’s brutal Bermuda weather comes 15 months after breaking through to capture the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky.
It now means three trophies, including a 2016 victory in Indiana on the secondary KornFerry Tour taking pride of place in his Las Vegas abode.
“It’s going to be amazing when I get back home and add the Bermuda trophy to the other one’s I have,” he said smiling.
“I’m actually moving house so I will be again arranging for a special section in the new house where I have my trophies on show. The Barbasol is in a box at the moment ahead of moving. I still have my KornFerry event trophy and now I can add the Bermuda trophy that the organisers are going to send to me.
“It’s going to be nice to get that all arranged and also being a PING player, and it was one of the first things I thought about, is that you get a replica of the putter for your win. So, there will be another one of those putters going into that section, as well.
“My trophy selection is growing which is always a good thing.”
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