Power puts up a fight to stay in final mix
IRELAND’S Seamus Power battled hard to stay in contention going into today’s final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
Power went into yesterday’s third round just off the lead after shooting rounds of 67 and 66 on the first two days and played steadily yesterday, picking up birdies on holes four and five before dropping a shot on six to end the outward nine on 35 shots, one under par.
He followed up with another birdie on 13 but was slipping down the leaderboard due to the sizzling form of Americans Ryan Armour, Mark Hubbard, Matthew Wolff, Troy Merritt and Bryson DeChambeau. Earlier, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama fired his lowest round since late February to grab the early, third-round clubhouse lead.
Matsuyama, who missed the cut two weeks ago in his only other start since the PGA Tour returned from a three-month Covid-19 hiatus, shot a bogeyfree, seven-under-par 65 to reach 12 under for the week at the Detroit Golf Club.
The left him level with overnight co-leaders Webb Simpson and Chris Kirk.
Matsuyama, bidding for his sixth PGA Tour win and first since 2017, made three birdies on the front nine and then added another four over an eight-hole stretch on the back nine to surge up the leaderboard.
The round was Matsuyama’s lowest since a 64 in the second round of the WGC-Mexico Championship in late February.
Tony Finau, who birdied three of his last four holes on Friday to make the cut on the number, stormed up the leaderboard with a six-under 66 to sit one back of Matsuyama along with Adam Schenk (66), Tom Lewis (66) and Arjun Atwal (66).
Finau’s highlight came at the par-five seventh where he made eagle after his approach shot from 244 yards out settled 16 feet from the hole.
‘I haven’t had like a really breakout round, I feel, that gets me like, ‘all right, we’re back”.’ said Finau.
‘But I think I’m really close to putting together some great golf again and that’s exciting for me.’