Event: Men’s golf.
Who is he? 29-year-old professional golfer who plies his trade on the Web.com Tour in America. Power is one of four golfers representing Ireland in Rio, alongside Pádraig Harrington, Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow. He is currently ranked 294th in the world.
Where is he from? Power was born in Waterford but went to college at East Tennessee State University and has lived across the Atlantic ever since.
Olympic CV: As golf is making its first appearance at the Games in 112 years, it’s needless to say Power will be making his Olympic debut in Rio.
Road to Rio: Power came into the reckoning following the withdrawal of Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell and his place was confirmed on Paul McGinley’s team last month. He claimed his place ahead of Paul Dunne by virtue of his superior world ranking.
When does he start? 11 August at the Olympic Golf Course, Rio.
Where can I follow him? Catch him on Twitter and Instagram.
What he says? “I was surprised that there were so many guys pulling out. It’s an opportunity that’s very difficult to pass up. It’s going to be such a good experience, it’s going to be a chance for me to play with some of the top players in the world in a different situation, so when it comes to October, November – when the tour season starts – I’m going to be seeing a lot of the guys and know what to expect.” (RTÉ, July 2016)
Medal chances? Power is enjoying a fine season and currently sits 9th in the Web.com Tour money list after winning his maiden title at the at the United Leasing and Finance Championship. In addition to that, three top ten finishes have seen him earn a sweet $192,000 in 2016 and it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that he”ll be competitive in Rio.
That said, Power lacks big event experience and although there have been a number of high-profile withdrawals, it’s still a quality field. A three out of five on The42‘s scientifically-developed, patented Jerry Kiernan scale…
And here’s something you probably didn’t know: Power’s big win in May even hit the headlines in New York…
Read more of The42′s Team Ireland profiles here >
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