"Unbelievable" — thoroughbred Power claims maiden PGA Tour win in Kentucky
Seamus Power lifts the Barbasol Championship. Picture: PGA Tour
West Waterford’s Seamus Power has travelled a long road to reach the PGA Tour so it was fitting that he should achieve his lifelong dream by beating JT Poston with a par at the sixth hole of a nail-biting sudden-death playoff to win the Barbasol Championship and his maiden PGA Tour title in Kentucky.
The 34-year old from Tooraneena picked up a cheque for $630,000 and a two-year exemption until the end of the 2022-23 season as well as starts in the Sentry Tournament of Champions, The Players Championship and the PGA Championship next year.
He also jumps from 210th to 113th in the world and from 123rd to 69th in the FedEx Cup standings, guaranteeing him a spot in the first Playoff event, the Northern Trust, and putting him in with a chance of making the Top 70 who contest the second event, the BMW Championship..
Unaware of his position coming down the stretch, he spectacularly birdied the 18th in regulation play, hitting a 152-yard nine-iron to two feet to set the target at 21-under with a closing 67 at 7,328-yard Keene Trace Golf Club.
As the chasing James Hahn bogeyed the last two holes to finish two shots behind him on 19-under, long-time leader Poston unraveled down the stretch, driving out of bounds by millimeters to double bogey the 15th before three-putting the 16th to shoot 70 and tie with Power on 21-under.
Sudden-death was series of dramas, starting on their first trip down the 18th where Power hit a 144-yard approach that rolled off the green and almost into the water.
Six playoff holes later, @Power4Seamus is a winner @BarbasolChamp. pic.twitter.com/dv0M8CuyFU
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 19, 2021
But while he looked to have one hand on the trophy when he sensationally chipped in from 16 feet for birdie, Poston bravely matched him by drilling in an 11-foot putt to extend the playoff.
Both men parred the next four extra holes — the 18th, ninth, ninth and 18th — before Power claimed the title with a par on their fourth trip down 18th.
He found the fairway with a three wood and watched as Poston’s driver dribbled into the water. right on its final revolution. After hitting a wedge to 11 feet, he then saw Poston narrowly fail to chip in for par after almost rinsing his third shot, leaving him two putts for the title which he duly took after his birdie effort lipped out.
First playoff hole ...
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 18, 2021
Tournament on the line ...@Power4Seamus is CLUTCH. pic.twitter.com/MYayPEH14K
“There is no way it is going to sink in yet but I didn’t know half the stuff you just said there,” Power told Golf Channel at the 18th after hearing the list of exemptions he will now enjoy. “But it has (been a long road), it’s been a bit of a struggle of a season early but I found a bit of form recently.
“This changes everything for me. Forever now I’ll be able to say I am a winner on the PGA Tour. The Playoffs and all that stuff, it’s not going to sink in yet. But I couldn’t be more proud. [My caddie] Simon [Keelan], I have just too many people to thank. It’s unbelievable.”
As for the birdie at the 72nd hole that proved so crucial, he admitted he had no idea where he stood at the time.
“Honestly, I didn’t. I am not a big leaderboard watcher. I had had a horrible lip-out on 17 but when I got to scoring, all of sudden JT just made a mistake and James Hahn just made a mistake but no, thankfully I didn’t know. It’s probably a good thing.”
Later, he said: “Yeah, it's an incredible day. I mean, I started out knowing I was going to need a low one. To be honest, I didn't think five-under would be low enough, but yeah, I was able to pick one up on the last, squeeze into a playoff and eventually kind of pulled through there.
“The first hole there was very exciting to get the chip-in. Obviously, JT to follow. You're trying to tell yourself he's going to make it, but deep down it's a little bit already thinking ahead. I was able to just kind of stay patient enough there and JT made just one mistake and yeah, I was able to take advantage. But yeah, I mean, unbelievable day, career-changing, life-changing, all that kind of good stuff. It's not going to sink in for a while.”
It was a dramatic end to an action-packed afternoon that saw Power start the day tied for fifth place, three shots behind Poston.
One clear on 19-under overnight, the 28-year old American turned in 32, then stretched his lead with a birdie at the 11th.
But Power did not go away and continued the form that saw him notch three top 10s and two top 20s in his previous five starts to jump from 210th to 123rd in the FedEx Cup standings.
He started with a birdie from 12 feet at the first, picked up two more shots at the par-five fifth and eighth but then three-putted the short ninth, missing from seven feet for par to turn for home on 18-under, four shots behind North Carolina native Poston.
After making another birdie at the par-five 11th, Power followed a frustrating, three-putt par-five at the 516-yard 15th with a birdie two from 14 feet at the 16th to get back to within four strokes of Poston on 20-under.
Poston, who picked up his lone PGA Tour win at the Wyndham Championship in 2019, then collapsed spectacularly, driving out of bounds by millimeters at the par-five 15th where officials needed to use a string to determine his ball was beyond the line of the white stakes.
He was forced to play his provisional drive but missed the green before taking three to get down for a double-bogey seven that saw him fall back to 22-under, one clear of James Hahn.
Power then pulled down his cap over his face as a 42 footer for a birdie lipped out at the 408-yard 17th.
But Poston three-putted the 190-yard 16th from 35 feet, leaving his birdie attempt eight feet short to fall back to 21-under.
Then Hahn, who shot 60 on Saturday to go into the final round tied for third, two shots behind Poston on 17-under, also fell apart.
The former LA Open winner bogeyed the 17th to fall back into a tie for second with Power on 20 under and was soon two behind the Tooraneena man after a bogey at the last.
Unaware of his exact position, the West Waterford man found the fairway at the 18th and rifled a 152-yard approach that pitched six inches beyond the cup, leaving him a two-footer to grab the clubhouse lead which he took with both hands.
Poston parred the 17th and had fired a wedge to 22 feet at the last to give himself a putt for the title.
But he missed it left to send the tournament to a playoff on the 417-yard 18th where Power chipped in for birdie, only to see Poston match him from 11 feet.
Returning to the 18th for the second playoff hole, Power found the right rough but with the ball below his feet, just above a bunker, he ripped a 177-yard approach to 17 feet below the hole but missed for the win after Poston’s 35 footer had shaved the hole.
They headed then to the 180-yard ninth but while Power fired a seven-iron over the pin, he flew into the back bunker and played a magnificent recovery to 30 inches which was enough to force a third playoff hole as Poston failed to make his 18 footer.
Returning to the ninth for the fourth extra hole, Power hit an eight iron this time to 20 feet but while Poston found the sand this time, he got up and down and the hole was halved in pars again.
They headed back to the 18th for the fifth playoff hole but both men missed birdie putts, Power from 26 feet and Poston from 22 feet to send them back to the tee again for the sixth tie hole.
Power found the fairway again with a three wood but Poston overcut his drive and it dribbled into the water on the last roll.
Power turned the screw by firing his approach to 11 feet and while Poston almost put his third in the water, he couldn’t chip in for par and the West Waterford man lipped out for birdie before tapping in for par and his maiden PGA Tour win.
