<p>Seamus Power lifts the Barbasol Championship. Picture: PGA Tour</p>
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 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 wedge to two feet to set the target at 21-under with a closing 67.
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.
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.
“There is no way it is going to sink in yet but I didn’t know half the stuff you just said there,” Power said on TV 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.”
Article Link: "Unbelievable" — thoroughbred Power claims maiden PGA Tour win in Kentucky - News - Irish Golf Desk