Seamus Power / Image from Getty Images
Struggling Seamus Power could do with some of World No. 1 Justin Rose’s good form rubbing off on him.
Power at least has a former coach to Rose working with him but Nick Bradley clearly has his hands full curbing Power’s current slide down the FedEx Cup standings.
Bradley is widely-known as the coach that helped Rose turn around his game from mid last decade with the London-born Bradley, who now lives in North Carolina, presently working with Power.
Power will tee-up for a first occasion in the Waste Management Phoenix Open later tonight Irish time but any joy in competing for a first time at TPC Scottsdale hinges on Power hopefully turning around a horrible start to his new year.
The affable West Waterford golfer arrived in suburban Phoenix having missed the halfway cut in his last six PGA Tour events while he’s sat out the weekend rounds since obtaining a full 2018/19 Tour card in seven of eight events he has contested.
In 19 rounds this new season Power has broken 70 on just two occasions and that was a pair of 68s on his way to sharing 19th place in last October’s Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi.
After securing full Tour rights for the first time in his career, and this after bizarrely missing the cut at last August’s Wyndham Championship, Power is sinking even further down the FedEx Cup points table to be ranked a lowly 170th with earnings of $61,600 for the eight events he has contested thus far and is in desperate need of buoyancy vest.
Come in Bradley.
As a boy, Nick Bradley was a swimmer and a runner but not a golfer. He specialised in the 100-metre butterfly. At age 16, he discovered golf and seven years later, he moved to Orlando and became a understudy for three years to David Ledbetter.
Bradley then began working with Rose, and in 20 months Rose went from ranked 124th in the World Rankings (August 2006) to World No. 6 (Early 2008) and Seamus Power desperately needs a similiar career-saving lift.
His caddy, John Rathouz was approached last week at the Farmers Insurance Open indicating Power was trying to hold his head high but was just getting knocked down everytime he tried to stand up.
“Seamus is trying to stay positive but it’s not easy,” said Rathouz. “He’ll turn it around but for the time being golf is difficult.”
Power is far too good a golfer to be missing six cuts in succession and here’s hoping he buries that stat this week in Phoenix.
Leave a comment