Séamus Power has ventured into uncharted territory for the past two seasons, discovering along the way that it is where he truly belongs. His final putt of the RSM Classic on Sunday constituted the last act of his tournament play for 2022, a year in which he has navigated his way to the top of the 2022/23 FedEx Cup standings and to a new high of 28th in the official world rankings.
With plans to put the clubs away for the next few weeks and a trip home to Waterford factored into his itinerary, the 35-year-old intends to get going again at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui for a year where he is guaranteed starts in all four Majors and also very much on Luke Donald’s radar for the Ryder Cup in Rome next September.
Of finishing up for the season at Sea Island, his position at the head of the FedEx Cup standings increased heading into the break, Power was asked if he had always had the belief that he would get to where he is having taken a route through mini-tours and what is now the Korn Ferry Tour to establish himself among the upper echelons of the professional game.
“I’ve always felt like this in there,” he replied of his own self-belief in the journey. “That’s why we play, that’s why you’re out here (on tour). If you didn’t think you were good enough to win, I don’t know how long I would have stayed out here. It’s fun getting yourself in those positions and hopefully I can do more of the same once the spring kicks off.”
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One thing is for sure, as Power himself identified, his comfort levels out on tour are apparent: “(I’ve) become more and more comfortable, (you) kind of figure out what you’re doing with your game and what you can do and can’t do, and just being comfortable with that . . . . you see young guys that can do cooler stuff like hitting it longer and all this kind of stuff, but I just figured out what I can do and what I can’t do and I try to stick to that as best I can when I’m out on the course.
“It’s been a good stretch of golf and I’m hoping it’ll continue . . . the last 18 months I haven’t changed a lot, so preparation has become shorter and kind of easier and more consistent.”
Power’s upward trajectory to 28th in the latest world rankings, joining Rory McIlroy (first) and Shane Lowry (20th), has put Irish golf into rarefied company in that only the United States and England also have three players ranked inside the top 30.
Like Power, McIlroy is taking a break from tournament golf although he will team-up with Tiger Woods to play against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in the seventh edition of The Match, to take place at Pelican Golf Club in Florida on December 10th.
McIlroy is also set to join Power in that Tournament of Champions in Maui, after which he plans on heading to the Middle East for the Abu Dhabi Championship in January, which is a Rolex series event early on the DP World Tour schedule.
A Major title may have evaded McIlroy’s clutches through the past season but he still enjoyed a truly brilliant year in which he topped the order of merit on both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, and returned to number one in the official world rankings. His eyes are very much on adding to his career tally of Majors, which has stalled at four since winning the US PGA in 2014.
“I probably sound like a broken record but it’s been eight years since I won a Major. But I feel like I’ve done everything else in the game since then. I’ve done a tone of stuff and all I can do is keep my head down, work hard and play the way I have been playing.
“I’ve been really encouraged with how I’ve played this year in the Majors and how I’ve started, and that’s something to really build on for next year. I feel like I’m healthy. I’m 33 and I feel like my body is in as best shape as it’s ever been, and hopefully it’s just moving ahead and keep moving on,” said McIlroy of having unfinished business yet to attend to.
