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Irish Mirror

Sport

Gary Murphy

Gary Murphy column: Seamus Power a perfect ambassador for Irish golf

Seamus Power Golf Jordan Smith Séamus Power PGA Tour Ernie Els John Murphy Stephen Bradley Q School Tour (Event)

Seamus Power's victory in Bermuda made it an historic week for Irish golf as it was the first time different Irish players won consecutively on the PGA Tour.

Rory McIlroy, as you would imagine, owns most Irish records and he had his own back to back weeks in 2014 with a WGC and PGA Championship. Professional golf's greatest strength at the moment is the depth of talent. We, too, can boast of such strength in depth.

Power is our most recent winner and his success proves yet again what a little powerhouse we are as a nation in the golfing world. He is in dreamland this week. This one is a little different to his first win last year - and a little more special, too. He had to dig very deep in trying conditions to outlast the field.

Golf is a very unusual sport in that your emotions can vary in the blink of an eye.

It is very rare that you go through a final round without a hiccup or some drama. Power had to endure both and those emotions can fill you with dread. Trying to execute under the utmost pressure finds out most players.

He started the week as the bookies favourite - which is an achievement in itself on the world's best Tour.

His performance to match that favourite tag will give him so much confidence.

So what does this win mean? The reality is that his winner's exemption from Barbasol in July 2021 expires at the end of this season so this win is massive.

It essentially gives him three years of emotional breathing space and he is now guaranteed to tee it up most weeks. That kind of status cannot be understated.

He is up to a career-high of 32 in the world rankings and will be able to play all the majors next season - along with those huge, newly elevated PGA Tour tournaments.

He did have a brilliant start to 2022 after playing fabulous golf in the Fall of '21 to set up his year, but had struggled since the summer after trying out some tweaks to his technique.

But that is all in the past as he can now alter his schedule to what best suits him - and with the opportunity of a Ryder Cup debut in Rome.

He is a cert on the team at the moment as Team Europe cannot do without two-time PGA Tour winners.

So life is good for Seamus Power and, having met him earlier this year when he signed as the tournament professional for The K Club, you can only wish him well.

He is a very normal and humble young man who has deserved and earned all that has come his way.

He is a perfect ambassador and next year's Horizon Irish Open will be even stronger with him as a headline act.

McKibben and Murphy in Q School action

The Korn Ferry Q School finals start this week in the States and, on this side of the pond, we've got the Challenge Tour Grand final.

Thus it is a week to witness where tomorrow's stars will come from.

Obviously, a Tour school is more demanding than a season-ending Finale - but both will give us great entertainment.

The Grand Final will be broadcast live for the first time on Sky Sports. I was fortunate enough in the summer to get a closer look at some of these players when the Irish Challenge was played this summer.

The standard is exceptional and some of these players will become household names.

We have two home players in the mix this week in Mallorca and they find themselves in different positions.

Tom McKibben is in the driving seat. He is 15th in the rankings, with 20 to progress to full status next year on the DP World Tour.

John Murphy is further down the list - at 43 of the 45 players competing - and will possibly need a win to avoid a trip to the dreaded Q School.

It will be great to see these guys on TV and I look forward to watching the next generation stick their heads above the golfing parapet.

Jordan Smith breaks Ernie Els record in Portugal

Jordan Smith made history in Portugal last week in the final tournament of the regular season.

This venue is a very popular holiday destination and many of our readers will have enjoyed a game at the Victoria course.

Smith shot 30-under for the four rounds to break Ernie Els' old record of 29-under par. He played perfectly for four days.

We see remarkable rounds every week on Tour, but rarely do we see four.

Oliver Fisher of England (Getty Images Europe)

This course also boasts the only 59 in Tour history, courtesy of Oliver Fisher. I was honoured to have been there in person to call him home as the on course commentator.

It is a course that yields many chances for these players - but I promise you if you go down and play the same tees you will be thrilled to play to your handicap.

Smith is one of the next tranche of players capable of stepping up to the next level. I have touted him in recent columns as a potential Ryder Cup player next season.

I said it at the start of the qualifying that he could step up. This is only his second win on Tour, but like in the case of Seamus Power, timing is everything.

Smith is a former Challenge Tour number one, Power graduated to his status from the Korn Ferry Tour.

Both will relax and celebrate this week as the stars of tomorrow try to walk a road less travelled.