Seamus Power had just shot a 64, which followed a 64 the day before, which followed a run since last May that has seen him win for the first time and post five other top 10s, which all had followed a stretch of no wins and time on the Korn Ferry and eGolf Tours, when he was asked what the “difference” was. The answer was simple. And as any golfer knows, it also wasn’t. “I mean, honestly, the biggest thing is — I mean, the way to shoot scores is to hit it close to the hole and make putts,” he said. “My wedges have been much, much better, and my putting’s improved. So when I hit it in the fairway and I’ve got a wedge in my hand, I feel like I’ve got a very good chance. Then I’ve always been long enough to take advantage of the par-5s, and you kind of put those two together, and you can make plenty of birdies.” And that he has. Here are three things you need to know after Friday’s second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, played at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula, in California.
Seamus Power leads by five
Power, who played Pebble on Friday and Spyglass on Thursday, finished at 16-under, which stands as a new 36-hole record at the event. And as he mentioned, it was his play from short range that got him there. Of his whopping 10 birdies, seven went as such: short iron-short putt-birdie.
On the par-5 2nd, he pitched to 3 feet, from 23 feet away, on his way to birdie. On the par-5 6th, he pitched to 10 feet, from 91 yards away, on his way to birdie. On the par-4 9th, he hit to 6 feet, from 142 yards away, on his way to birdie. On the par-4 11th, he hit to 4 feet, from 95 yards away, on his way to birdie. On the par-5 14th, he hit to 4 feet, from 97 yards away, on his way to birdie. On the par-4 16th, he hit to 10 feet, from 143 yards away, on his way to birdie. Finally, on the par-5 18th, he hit to 4 feet, from 96 yards away, on his way to a closing birdie and the 64.
“My wedge play was great,” he said. “I hit, I had like three or four shots I hit very, very close, and the way I’ve been putting, they were not gimmie birdies, but certainly ones you would expect to make, and it just changes your whole complex of your round, of your score. So that was the most pleasing. To finish with a close one on 18, and I could pick up another shot there.”
Patrick Cantlay is six shots back
Five shots back of Power and tied for second are Andrew Putnam, Tom Hoge and Adam Svensson. Six behind are Austin Smotherman and Patrick Cantlay, who, at No. 4, is the only top 10 player in the field.
“Obviously the lead’s a little ways away, but there’s a lot of golf left,” said Cantlay, who shot a 68 at Spyglass on Friday. “It’s only halftime.”
Jason Day is seven back
Among other players, Jason Day is nine back after a 66 at Monterey, Matt Fitzpatrick is nine back after a 67 at Monterey, and Jordan Spieth is 11 back after a 70 at Spyglass.
With the players playing three courses, the cut will be made on Saturday.
