Seamus Power said at the beginning of the week there was no added pressure being the only player ranked inside the top 50 in the world playing this week.
On Sunday, he proved it.
The World No. 48 survived rough conditions on the back nine at Port Royal Golf Course to post a final round 70 to capture the Butterfield Bermuda Championship by one stroke for his second PGA Tour win.
“I’m absolutely over the moon,” he said after the round. “The first one was amazing but to be able to win again, it’s fantastic. I get whatever, it’s pretty much a three-year exemption and all the kind of cool things that come with it. It’s just you’re kind of so proud and it’s amazing to be able to do it again.”
Power began the day tied with rookie Ben Griffin, who came out of the gates hot with four birdies in the first six holes to open up a two-stroke lead.
However, Griffin, who was trying to complete a fairy tale comeback after giving up pro golf for a time last year, collapsed in the strong winds on the back nine Sunday. He birdied 10 and 11 but followed it with bogeys at 12-15 and a double at difficult par-3 16th to give up the lead to Power.
“Not how I wanted to, but it was playing tough out there,” Griffin said. “Those are some of the toughest holes coming down the stretch, especially trying to win a PGA Tour event.”
The Irishman, Power struggled at times through the same stretch, which featured five of the eight toughest holes of the day, but picked up birdies on 14 and 17, which were enough to keep his lead on the field.
“It was a kind of day full of all sorts of emotions because, again, same as yesterday, you knew once you get to 12 tee that the next hour and a half was going to be really tough going,” Power said. “So I was able to make a couple birdies on the front and then kind of hang on there coming back in.”
Still, just two back on the par-5 17th, Griffin, playing conservatively with an iron off the tee, pulled his tee shot with the right-to-left wind and found the pond. He managed his first par on the back nine, but any hopes of a comeback were dashed when Power got up-and-down for birdie from left of the green in two.
Even after spinning his approach off the front of the green on the 72nd while holding a two-shot cushion, Power hit a nifty chip to within a couple of feet to seal the deal and give him two putts to win.
Germany’s Thomas Detry posted a four-under 67 to leap Griffin for solo second as the rookie ended up in a tie for third at 17 under with Patrick Rodgers and fellow rookie Kevin Yu.
