Power to join forces with Lowry in foursomes after impressive Hero Cup debut
Séamus Power
SÉAMUS POWER will be looking to continue his sensational start to his quest for a Ryder Cup spot when he partners Shane Lowry in the foursomes in the Hero Cup today.
The West Waterford man was one of the revelations of the opening day's fourballs at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, where he made six of ten birdies with Scotland's Robert MacIntyre in a 4&3 win over Austria's Sepp Staka and Poland's Adrian Meronk.
GB&I skipper Tommy Fleetwood was pleased to trail just 3-2 despite losing on the 18th with an erratic Lowry to Belgium's Thomas Pieters and Sweden's Alex Noren.
"We got completely out-putted early on and then we were the better team for the back nine," Fleetwood said of his match with Lowry, which saw them fight back from three down at the turn to level after 15 holes only to lose to a closing birdie.
"Coming down the last two, it can always go either way. But the guys said, at the back end, to get something out of the last matches, Seamus and Bob did unbelievable and they love playing together. That was really nice and a great partnership there."
Belgium's Thomas Detry and the outstanding Frenchman Antoine Rozner made it 2-0 to Francesco Molinari's Continental Europe with a 2-up win over Tyrrell Hatton and Jordan Smith in eight-under figures.
But Power and MacIntyre were hugely impressive as they made ten birdies in the first 13 holes to go 4-up before closing out Straka and Meronk on the 15th to make it 2-1.
Continental Europe was up in four of the five matches at one stage but English duo Callum Shinkwin and Matt Wallace halved with France's Victor Perez and Italy's Guido Migliozzi before Scotland's Ewen Ferguson and England's Richard Mansell fought back from 2-down after 11 holes to halve with Continental Europe captain Francesco Molinari and Dane Nicolai Hojgaard.
Lowry and FedEx Cup leader Power will take on Perez and Migliozzi in the final match today after the West Waterford man impressed alongside MacIntyre.
"We played well," said Power. "We made plenty of birdies. Made some putts at key times and things that you have to do to win a fourball."
Power and MacIntyre met for the first time on Tuesday when they played a Skins game with Lowry.
"I've got a connection with him, kind of same background, so it's been fun," the Scot said. "Scotsmen and Irishmen always get on well. It was overall a good day."
Hero Cup
Saturday morning foursomes:
07:35 Thomas Pieters & Alex Noren v Ewen Ferguson & Richard Mansell;
07:45 Sepp Straka & Thomas Detry v Tommy Fleetwood & Tyrrell Hatton;
07:55 Francesco Molinari & Nicolai Højgaard v Callum Shinkwin & Matt Wallace;
08:05 Antoine Rozner & Adrian Meronk v Jordan Smith Robert & MacIntyre;
08:15 Victor Perez & Guido Migliozzi v Shane Lowry & Seamus Power.
