Seamus Power from West Waterford Golf Club has moved into position to earn a PGA Tour card next season by winning the United Leasing and Finance Championship on America's Web.com Tour in Indiana.
The three-time former Irish Youths champion birdied the 17th and saved par on the 18th with a 12-foot-putt to shoot a five-under-par bogey-free 67.
That set the clubhouse target at 12 under, which proved good enough for a one-shot victory over Americans Jonathan Randolph, Adam Schenk and Cody Gribble.
Power is the first Irishman to win a tournament on the second-string Web.Com Tour.
After making this putt on No. 18, @Power4Seamus thought he would fall one short.
— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) May 2, 2016
But it proved to be just enough. 🏆 https://t.co/DyvJe81F90
“It still hasn’t really sunk in. Crazy day,” Power told pgatour.com. “But, yeah, obviously, over the moon. It’s going to take me a couple hours to figure out what it all means, but right now I’m just very happy.”
“To be honest, I was just trying to post a number and hope for the best,” Power said. “I knew the finish was playing very, very difficult, so to pick one up at 17 was a huge bonus. Then got a good up and down at the last after a poor second shot.
"So when I finished I didn’t think it was going to win, but I saw some of the guys dropping shots and just hoped for the best. It obviously worked out.”
The 29-year-old has now moved to seventh overall on the Web.com Tour with $131,733 in prize money so far this season, just $30,000 short of the mark that secured a top-25 finish last season.
At the end of the 2016 campaign, the leading 25 players on the Web.com Tour money-list will earn full PGA tour cards for 2017.
“That’s where you’re trying to get," he said. "If I didn’t see myself doing that, there wouldn’t be a point in playing. This is a huge win but, at the same time, it’s a stepping stone for where I’m trying to be. But it’s a huge step, so I’m excited.”
