Seamus Power during a practice round ahead of the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Alamy Stock Photo
power factor
Seamus Power: Fight to retain PGA Tour card not a distraction at year's second major
Power’s inconsistent start to the season has left him scrapping for Tour privileges next year, which Pádraig Harrington fears will be a ‘burden’ at Quail Hollow.
THE BUILD-UP to this year’s PGA Championship has been dominated by the sudden ease of Rory McIlroy’s mindset. Career Grand Slam achieved ahead of a major return to his favourite course? Swing easy and free.
Not all the Irish in the field arrive to such a placid backdrop. Seamus Power missed out on the limited field, signature event Truist Championship in Philadelphia last week: his PGA Tour ranking instead saw him battle off-broadway at the Myrtle Beach Classic in South Carolina. Power finished 34th, with a scorching opening 64 quenched by a Friday 76 before he closed out the tournament with a pair of weekend 69s.
As McIlroy soars and Shane Lowry continues to set roots down among the world’s top 10, Power is battling to preserve his PGA Tour card for next year. That battle is hardly his fault. To now, the top 125 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup rankings secured their cards for the following year but from next year, only the top 100 will preserve their status.
Advertisement
As it stands, Power is hanging off the cliff edge, currently ranked 99th.
“Seamus has a very strong game, physically capable, but unfortunately for Seamus he is stuck on the bubble of keeping his card”, Pádraig Harrington told The 42 yesterday. ”I am sure Seamus would be very happy with a 25th this week as he has that awkward thing hanging over his head. This is a very important year to keep his card because there are only 100 spots, so that’s a burden for Seamus.”
The man himself says he isn’t feeling the same pressure ahead of the first tee on Thursday at Quail Hollow.
“There’s so much left in the season, it doesn’t really”, Power tells The 42 when asked if it’s weighing on his mind this week.
“Maybe later in the season it becomes a thing, but for now the big thing – top 100 is obviously important – but you’re trying to get into that top 50 before we get to Memphis [for the PGA Tour playoffs]. So it’s the same focus, try to play well. This is a big tournament, big points and all that kind of stuff, so [the aim is to] put four good rounds together and then do the same next week.”
Power admits to being disappointed with the start to his year. He has missed the cut in half of his 2025 starts, and a T8 at the Valspar Championship is his only top-15 of 2025 thus far. He didn’t play in this year’s Masters, and his only major appearance since 2023 was a missed cut at last year’s US Open.
He is heartened, however, by his familiarity with Quail Hollow, and the eternal, frightening hope that springs from golf’s inherent volatility.
“I’ve been on Tour a long time”, says Power. “In my first couple of years I was closer to [keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour rankings.] This year hasn’t started as well as I wanted but it can all change. Golf can change in one good week. I could be standing here in six days time and the season has a completely different outlook.
“So I have to remember that, a lot of positive thinking and positive thoughts, and hopefully there will be some good things.”
Power’s Waterford accent still stabs through his learned American lilt. He moved Stateside in 2010, spending a decade living in Charlotte before upping sticks for Las Vegas. The early part of his residency is useful muscle memory this week, at a course he knows extremely well.
Related Reads
'I don't know what he was expecting - I'm not going to try to be his best mate'
Pádraig Harrington's legacy is seen everywhere at the PGA Championship - even in the size of the trophy
'One of my favourite places in the world' - Why Quail Hollow sets McIlroy up for absurd tilt at the Rory Slam
“It’s a tough test but it fits my eye nicely, so I always enjoy playing here”, says Power. “I just feel the golf course is set up right for me, a stronger test where you have to use your head a little more, I feel that kind of golf suits me a little bit more.”
Power finished T16 at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow last year, and has three top-20 finishes in five appearances at the venue. Another top-20 finish would vault him away from the cut line for Tour cards next year, but he says he is not one for leaderboard forecasting.
“It’s going to be shot by shot”, he says. “This place is never going to be torn apart, it’s a big golf course that’s tough going. Anytime you can break 70 around here, if you do that four times you’ll be right in the mix.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
4 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Seamus Power: Fight to retain PGA Tour card not a distraction at year's second major
THE BUILD-UP to this year’s PGA Championship has been dominated by the sudden ease of Rory McIlroy’s mindset. Career Grand Slam achieved ahead of a major return to his favourite course? Swing easy and free.
Not all the Irish in the field arrive to such a placid backdrop. Seamus Power missed out on the limited field, signature event Truist Championship in Philadelphia last week: his PGA Tour ranking instead saw him battle off-broadway at the Myrtle Beach Classic in South Carolina. Power finished 34th, with a scorching opening 64 quenched by a Friday 76 before he closed out the tournament with a pair of weekend 69s.
As McIlroy soars and Shane Lowry continues to set roots down among the world’s top 10, Power is battling to preserve his PGA Tour card for next year. That battle is hardly his fault. To now, the top 125 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup rankings secured their cards for the following year but from next year, only the top 100 will preserve their status.
As it stands, Power is hanging off the cliff edge, currently ranked 99th.
“Seamus has a very strong game, physically capable, but unfortunately for Seamus he is stuck on the bubble of keeping his card”, Pádraig Harrington told The 42 yesterday. ”I am sure Seamus would be very happy with a 25th this week as he has that awkward thing hanging over his head. This is a very important year to keep his card because there are only 100 spots, so that’s a burden for Seamus.”
The man himself says he isn’t feeling the same pressure ahead of the first tee on Thursday at Quail Hollow.
“There’s so much left in the season, it doesn’t really”, Power tells The 42 when asked if it’s weighing on his mind this week.
“Maybe later in the season it becomes a thing, but for now the big thing – top 100 is obviously important – but you’re trying to get into that top 50 before we get to Memphis [for the PGA Tour playoffs]. So it’s the same focus, try to play well. This is a big tournament, big points and all that kind of stuff, so [the aim is to] put four good rounds together and then do the same next week.”
Power admits to being disappointed with the start to his year. He has missed the cut in half of his 2025 starts, and a T8 at the Valspar Championship is his only top-15 of 2025 thus far. He didn’t play in this year’s Masters, and his only major appearance since 2023 was a missed cut at last year’s US Open.
He is heartened, however, by his familiarity with Quail Hollow, and the eternal, frightening hope that springs from golf’s inherent volatility.
“I’ve been on Tour a long time”, says Power. “In my first couple of years I was closer to [keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour rankings.] This year hasn’t started as well as I wanted but it can all change. Golf can change in one good week. I could be standing here in six days time and the season has a completely different outlook.
“So I have to remember that, a lot of positive thinking and positive thoughts, and hopefully there will be some good things.”
Power’s Waterford accent still stabs through his learned American lilt. He moved Stateside in 2010, spending a decade living in Charlotte before upping sticks for Las Vegas. The early part of his residency is useful muscle memory this week, at a course he knows extremely well.
“It’s a tough test but it fits my eye nicely, so I always enjoy playing here”, says Power. “I just feel the golf course is set up right for me, a stronger test where you have to use your head a little more, I feel that kind of golf suits me a little bit more.”
Power finished T16 at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow last year, and has three top-20 finishes in five appearances at the venue. Another top-20 finish would vault him away from the cut line for Tour cards next year, but he says he is not one for leaderboard forecasting.
“It’s going to be shot by shot”, he says. “This place is never going to be torn apart, it’s a big golf course that’s tough going. Anytime you can break 70 around here, if you do that four times you’ll be right in the mix.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
2025 pga championship Golf power factor seamus power