Power chasing win No 2 and world's top 50 as Leona falls back
Seamus Power
Seamus Power is just three shots off the lead as he bids for a second PGA Tour win of the year in the RSM Classic in Georgia that could catapult him into the world’s top 50.
Tied for tenth at Sea Island Resort overnight, three shots off the lead after opening with a seven-under 63 on the Seaside Course, the West Waterford man was in his element in breezy conditions on day two on the Plantation Course.
The 34-year-old world number 89 birdied the first, parred the next 11 holes before picking up further shots at the 437-yard 13th and the 560-yard 18th to card a three-under 69 that left him tied for sixth on 10-under.
“I didn't make too many mistakes,” said Power, who was just three strokes behind Talor Gooch, who shot a five-under 65 on the Seaside Course to lead by a shot from John Huh (67) and overnight leader Sebastian Muñoz of Colombia (70) on 13-under par.
“I was able to make a couple little par saves when I needed to, but for the most part I was pretty much in control, hitting a lot of greens. It was a good day.
"It was tricky out there, those gusts were tough. You got one at the wrong time, it was kind of a tough break. Yeah, very happy it's ended bogey-free.
”It's tricky. The breeze, you feel it's sometimes switching even though it's not. You just have to try to commit to targets as best you can and do your best.”
He added: “We are in good shape going into the weekend. Hopefully have two good rounds and see what happens.”
It was a far different story for former US Open champion Graeme McDowell, who closed out a year to forget with a four-over 76 that left him six strokes outside the cut mark on two-over.
The 42-year-old from Portrush is exempt on the PGA Tour until the end of the 2021-22 season thanks to his win in the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in 2019.
But his hopes of avoiding a third missed cut in a row—his 12th failure from 20 starts worldwide in an injury hit year—were dashed when he triple bogeyed his 13th hole (the par-five fourth) to slip back to level for the tournament, then double-bogeyed the par-three seventh.
On the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire’s one-under 71 left her tied for 19th on six-under, four shots behind her former Duke teammate Celine Boutier of France in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship at breezy Tiburón Golf Club in Naples.
The world number 45 is chasing her first LPGA Tour win in an event offering the biggest first prize in women’s golf, a cool $1.5 million. But after making two birdies and two bogeys in her first five holes, she could make just one more birdie on the par-five 14th after a bad day on the greens,
“I just didn’t play well enough today and didn’t putt well,” said Maguire after taking 33 putts. “It was a bit of a struggle. I just wasn’t hitting my targets or holing putts. I putted terribly today.”
Boutier shot a second successive, seven-under 65 to lead by four shots on 14-under from Mexico’s Gabby Lopez (68), Australia’s Minjee Lee (68) and American Mina Harigae (69).
Olympic champion and world No 1 Nelly Korda was a shot further back after 69 as she bids for the Player of the Year title and her fifth LPGA win this season.
