After gaining a place on the PGA Tour by the skin of his teeth, Seamus Power’s season got off to a disappointing start with a missed cut at the Safeway Open in California but it’s fair to say that there were a number of mitigating factors.
The Waterford man lost his card at the end of last season but won it back just last Monday by finishing 25th in the Web.com Tour finals with just $287 to spare.
With the PGA Tour operating a wrapround season it was straight from Atlantic City in Florida, across the United States, to Napa Valley in California via Ohio to then go straight into his first tournament of the season. Not the greatest preparation it must be said and it got worse when his clubs got lost en route, ending up in Ohio.
After eventually getting them back he opened up with a solid one under par round of 70 but the whirlwind week took its toll on Friday as he struggled to a 75 and missed the cut.
At the top of the leaderboard Brendan Steele took a step closer to defending his title with a second round of 67 to lie one shot off the lead.
After carding 65 in his first round, the American nailed back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th — including a 129-yard approach which landed within inches of the pin — to go five under for the day and 12 under overall.
The current leader Tyler Duncan was tied at the top after the first round but bogeyed on the second, third and fourth to sit at one under for the day after four second-round holes on the front nine.
But he rallied to card a six-under round of 66 with three birdies and an eagle in his last five holes to sit at 13 under.
Fellow American Chesson Hadley struggled in the first round by carding a 72 but went round in 11-under 61 on the second day to race up into contention.
Among the highlights of his round — which included 10 birdies, an eagle and a single dropped shot at the par four sixth — was a 166-yard tee shot on the 15th to set up an eight-foot birdie putt.
Phil Mickleson ended the day tied for 15th place with a pair of 3-under rounds of 69 despite a double bogey on the par four 14th.
