Hole in one boost for Seamus Power - wins €57,000 BMW X4
Seamus Power got his adrenaline surging with a spin in a high performance BMW on a test track before the event. Then he produced a little more juice when he aced the 17th hole in the final round to win a brand new BMW X4 worth €57,000 and clinch his first top 10 of the season in the BMW Charity Pro-Am Presented by SYNNEX Corporation.
The West Waterford man holed a seven iron at the 217-yard 17th for his 10th career ace but while he bogeyed the last for a three under 68, he still finished a best of the season tied for 10th behind Australia's Rod Pampling at Thornblade Club in Greer, South Carolina.
"We’ve been talking about it all week,” said Power. “I had one more shot at it. It was a perfect number. I think it was 189 front, down breeze. It landed right where I wanted, about 15 feet short and rolled right in.”
Oddly, Power’s ace came a couple hours after his playing partner, Ryan Blaum, chalked up an albatross on the par-five, fifth hole. Blaum hit a 4-iron from 222 yards for the first albatross of his career.
“He (Power) gets a car and according to par, my shot’s better,” joked Blaum afterwards. “According to the odds, my shot is better and I don’t get a car. Can you explain that to me?"
Power earned his biggest cheque of the year, $16,200, and moved up 33 places to 83rd in the Web.com Tour rankings with earnings so far this season of $23,923.
Pampling fired a 5-under 66 for a wire-to-wire win at BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX CORPORATION. Pampling, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR, finished 25-under and beat out Texan Kelly Kraft by two shots and earn his first Web.com Tour title.
Roland Thatcher set the tone early for an awesome day and a potential shoot-out when he chalked up eight birdies and an eagle in his 14 holes and put everyone on “59 watch.” Thatcher started the day 10 shots off the pace but saw his surge fall short when he managed only one birdie over his last four holes.
Thatcher settled for an 11-under 60, a new course record, and eventually solo third place, four back of Pampling.