Power cracks world's top 50 but vows, 'this is only a passing point for now'

With one win, six top-10s and seven top 25s in his last 21 starts, the Waterford man has jumped from 63rd to 49th in the world today — a rise of 385 places in 12 months.

Seamus Power of Ireland plays a shot from a bunker on the sixth hole during the final round of the Sony Open in Hawaii 

Séamus Power soared to 49th in the world with a tie for third in the Sony Open in Hawaii and hailed his milestone achievement as just “a passing point” on the road to even bigger things.

The 34-year old West Waterford star was fighting for his PGA Tour survival just nine months ago but after closing with back to back birdies for a five-under 65 and a tie for third behind Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, he’s now on track to qualify for April’s Masters at Augusta National.

"It's definitely a special moment," said Power, who tied with Kevin Kisner on 19-under par at Waialae Country Club. “It's a huge milestone, but the plan is for this to be only a passing point for now.

“It would have been impossible to imagine myself on this path a few years ago because my biggest obstacle was my lack of opportunities to play."

Matsuyama overcame a five shot deficit with Russell Henley with nine holes to go and shot 63 to the American’s 65 to force sudden-death on 23-under, then hit a 276-yard three-wood to 32 inches at the first extra hole to set up a winning eagle three and his eighth PGA Tour win.

Power was playing in the tenuous 126-150 category last season but when he contracted Covid-19 in April, he feared for his PGA Tour future as he missed out on several vital starts.

He battled his way out of that hole with brilliant golf (three top 10s and two top 20s in five torrid weeks), then went on to clinch his maiden PGA TOUR win at the Barbasol Championship in July.

He hasn't looked back since and having started the 2021-22 season with five top 25 finishes in his first seven starts, he continued a red-hot run of form in Honolulu last night.

With one win, six top-10s and seven top 25s in his last 21 starts, he jumped from 63rd to 49th in the world today — a rise of 385 places in 12 months.

He’s just one spot behind 48th ranked Shane Lowry and almost certain to make his Masters debut in April, providing he remains in the top 50 after the Valero Texas Open on March 28.

He also won $442,500 to take his season's earnings to $1,231,442 and moved from 21s to 14th in the FedEx Cup standings, guaranteeing his spot in the top 125 who make August's FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Playing in the penultimate group, four strokes behind Henley and Matsuyama, Power looked destined to contend for his second PGA Tour win when he rolled in a 38 footer for birdie at the first, then made a 28 footer for another at the second to move within two shots of the lead.

But he never quite hit the ball close enough all day, and while he shaved the holed with an eagle effort at the ninth and turned in three-under, he was soon seven strokes behind Henley, who followed birdies at the sixth, seventh and eighth with an eagle three at the ninth to turn in six-under 29.

Power then saw his title chances slip away when he duffed a pitch from a poor lie at the driveable 10th and did well to save par, then missed the green and bogeyed the short 11th.

But as Matsuyama turned the screw on Henley and played the back nine in four-under to the American's one-over to force sudden-death, Power clawed his way up the leaderboard.

"I felt like that took me out of contention to win it," Power said of his mistakes at the 10th and 11th. "I was able to get it turned around. I made three birdies in the last seven holes to turn it back around a little bit, so I was kind of proud of that one."

After making a 24 footer from the back fringe at the 12th, he made a 16 footer at the 194-yard 17th, then drove into sand at the 551-yard 18th but got up and down from 66 yards after an excellent lay up, calmly rolling in a six-footer for his sixth birdie of the day and 22nd of the week.

"Yeah, it's great," said Power, who was disappointed with his iron play last night but delighted to see his putter heat up. "You know, I don't know how many points or anything I'll get. I think I'll have probably my spot in the playoffs locked up after this week.

"That's a nice one. It's by far the earliest I've ever had it locked up before so it's kind of new territory for me.” 

Henley was gutted to miss out on his first win for five years but he had no complaints as he was relentlessly reeled in by Matsuyama, who moves from 19th to 10th in the world.

"Today was a little bit sloppy on the back nine, but I made the par saves I needed to make to put pressure on Hideki," said Henley, who shot 65 to Matsuyama's 63 despite coming home in one-over. "He just played incredible golf today.

"Really, I think just one mistake on 9 for him, a three-putt par. But, yeah, I wish I could have put some more pressure on him. Tough to beat three-wood to two feet on 18."

Henley would bogey the first extra hole, but that was understandable after Matsuyama's wonder-shot into the setting sun.

"It was a perfect number for me for a cut three-wood, 276 yards left to right, follow wind," the Japanese ace said of a shot he didn't see as it took off into the glare of the setting sun.

"I knew the green was soft enough to hold it, and I was able to pull it off… To be honest, I didn't even see it. But everybody started cheering, and I knew it was good."

Five behind at the turn, Matsuyama birdied the 10th, then picked up two shots at the 11th as he made birdie to Henley's bogey.

The Masters champion then birdied the 15th from 18 feet and the 18th with a superb lag putt from 55 feet as Henley missed from 10 feet for birdie and his first win for five years.