Séamus Power believes he still has a chance of winning the Amgen Irish Open if he can beat the forecasted strong winds on Saturday after two birdies in his last four holes saw him make the cut at Royal County Down.
Power feels he got the wrong side of the draw but after two 7-irons set up birdies on 15 and 17 to move from outside the cut to in on one-over, he hopes Mother Nature will be kinder to him as he plans to eat into the seven shot gap between himself and Matteo Manassero.
“Finished strong and the leaderboard looks tightly packed so you never know I’ll be out on the earlier side so hopefully it will be a little calmer, can put something together and make some birdies like I did today without the mistakes and you never know,” said Power who carded a second round of 69.
“This place is very difficult but it was a totally different golf course today. 18 today, 17 completely different it will be interesting to see what we get tomorrow and hopefully I can keep putting well.
“The standard of golf is crazy, plus three for two rounds and you’re going home… mental.”
The Waterford man didn’t know whether he was coming or going as the wind got up in the afternoon. A great start with birdies on the first and sixth saw him move from three-over to one-over before he carded the first of two double bogeys on the 8th.
He rallied again with two birdies in three holes to start his back nine before a six on the par-4 13th threatened to send him home early.
“I made mistakes there so realistically I wasn’t going to get anything better than bogeys so they were pretty good doubles interestingly so.
“I misjudged two lies poorly which is disappointing. Got greedy on 8 and on 13, I didn’t think it would jump like that then you’re hitting four from a long way away. I was able to limit the damage and bounce back so I should be proud of that but two double bogeys is a little frustrating.”
The 37-year-old ensured he stuck around for the weekend with birdies on 15 and 17 having missed last year’s tournament completely due to a hip injury.
“I was delighted, great birdie on 15 and 17 so a couple of really nice 7-irons and putts and I was able to hang in on the other ones so a lot of good stuff,” beamed Power.
“I always remember talking to Jay Haas who holds the record on the PGA Tour, he made 600 cuts and he was like it never goes away. You never want to miss a cut there’s something psychological about it. You’re not playing to make the cut but when you are around it you want to hang in there. Especially an Irish Open you don’t want to be hanging around there the next two days.”
The winds got up and the temperature dropped as Power made his way towards the clubhouse but he was prepared to take the rough with the smooth although he does feel like he was on the harsher side of the draw.
“It felt like that. That happens over course of the season, normally. You’d prefer if you got the good side but that’s golf.
“Wind got up pretty early again, I don’t know what the stats were but I’d say we got the tricky end of the draw. It was different today, 1 and 12 were basically par fours where some other holes bite you on the other side so we had to get at least two of those and hang on on the holes into the wind, that’s links golf. It’s fun sometimes you look at a bunker and think who would ever hit it in there and the next day you could be the one in it, that’s golf. Especially links golf so hopefully get calmer weather in the morning and get something going.”
Gusts of over 40km/h are forecasted to rip through Royal County Down on Saturday and Power said pre-tournament that he would happily take level par after 72 holes and see where it left him.
At the halfway point of the Irish Open he has no idea what the winning score will be but is determined to ensure he is part of the conversation heading into Sunday.
“Depends on the conditions. You just don’t know. I haven’t seen it now for tomorrow because even today, it wasn’t meant to be blowing this yard. I feel like, if I can get to two or three under tomorrow, going into Sunday, I don’t think I’m going to be too far back. A lead like that can be gone in a hole or two and there are eagle chances out here in a certain wind direction.”
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