DEREK LAWRENSON: Seamus Power went from unheard of journeyman to barnstorming his way towards the world’s top 40… he cannot be ignored any longer ahead of his Masters debut
- Irishman Seamus Power has gone from outside the world’s top 500 to no 45
- The 35-year-old has been catching the eye in the lead up to this year’s Masters
- Power will make his debut in Augusta alongside the sport’s elite next month
Go on, admit it — how many of you had heard of Seamus Power before his stunning run of form?
Not too many, I’d venture, but he certainly cannot be ignored any longer now he has barnstormed his way towards the world’s top 40 and is heading for a Masters debut next week.
Eighteen months ago, the 35-year-old from Waterford was ranked outside the world’s top 500 and a journeyman’s career appeared the lot of the man who grew up playing junior golf alongside Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry.
Seamus Power has gone from outside the world’s top 500 to the brink of the top 40
Waterford native Power grew up playing junior golf alongside Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry
Now, he will make his Augusta bow alongside them, strengthened by a notable showing at the WGC-Match Play Championship, where he took care of Patrick Cantlay and Tyrrell Hatton in reaching the quarter-finals.
That is four top-nine finishes in his last nine starts on the PGA Tour — and the latest one took him beyond $2million in earnings already for this season.
There was much wailing in the American press recently about the fact that the early season winners on the PGA Tour were not exactly household names. Hudson Swafford, Luke List and Tom Hoge are not men who fill column inches, leading to an inevitable cry — what the hell has happened to the elite?
With the start of the hectic majors season almost upon us, the answer appears that they were pacing themselves.
World no 1 Jon Rahm, 27, is getting back to his best form just in time for the Masters
Jon Rahm looks as if he has suddenly remembered how to putt, Collin Morikawa showed glimpses of his true form in Austin and Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka all look ready to put on a show again at Augusta. The Masters never throws up an obscure winner and it will not this year, either.
Things might be bad for one former Masters champion, Phil Mickelson, but his woes appear trivial beside those of the 2009 winner, Angel Cabrera, who definitely will not be going to the Champions Dinner.
The 52-year-old is nine months into a two-year jail sentence in Argentina, after being convicted of assaulting his ex-partner. He continues to protest his innocence.
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