Seamus Power clawed back a two-shot deficit in the face of absolute gale-force winds on Saturday at Port Royal, snagging a share of the lead with Austin Smotherman heading into the final round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. It was a 4-under 67 for Power, and his 16-under 197 puts him right alongside Smotherman, who shot a 66 himself. But don’t let those matching scores fool you, because these two golfers are playing for completely different futures.
Wind, What Wind? Oh, THAT Wind.
Bermuda’s wind lived up to its reputation in Round 3, and then some. Power, an Irishman who grew up in these exact conditions, even admitted, “Today was proper wind, at least for me.” He described the unique challenge of hitting low shots when elevated or off an upslope, making it tough to judge flight. Power wasn’t messing around, hammering a 5-wood off the tee and into the green, drawing it hard into the ripping left-to-right wind to set up a 40-foot two-putt birdie. Smotherman, despite finishing his round with a clutch 10-foot par save, had to shift into conservative mode. He even got lucky with a 9-foot eagle putt on the par-5 seventh, riding the wind to make up serious ground early. But then came the back nine, where Smotherman said, “Once we turned, I felt like the wind just kept picking up. No. 11 tee shot was kind of the first one where we were really like, ‘Wow, it’s on another level now. These next few holes aren’t going to be what we’re used to seeing these last couple days.’” It was so severe on the par-3 16th that his chip 7-iron to a front pin wound up 35 yards long into a back bunker, forcing him to blast out and scramble for a bogey. Failing to birdie the par-5 17th was even okay with him; he was just trying to keep it simple.
One Is Set, One Is Desperate
This shared lead isn’t just about two guys tied at the top. It’s about two wildly different positions on the PGA Tour. Austin Smotherman is playing with house money right now. He already picked up his first PGA Tour title at the Utah Championship, securing a two-year exemption and all but locking him into the early $20 million signature events. He’s feeling “looser than most this time of the year,” and you can bet that confidence is huge. Seamus Power, though, is in a much more precarious spot. He’s sitting at No. 103 and desperately needs to finish the FedEx Cup Fall in the top 100 to keep his full status for next year. This isn’t just about a trophy for Power, it’s about his livelihood. And he’s not alone: a whopping seven of the leading 10 players on the leaderboard Saturday were outside the top 100. More wind is in the forecast for Sunday, which Power thinks will work in his favor, not because he’s Irish, but because it makes it harder for those behind to make up ground with birdies.
When Sunday kicks off, it’s not just a championship on the line. For Power, it’s a battle to keep his full PGA Tour status, a fight made tougher by every shot and every gust. Smotherman, on the other hand, is playing with house money, looking to cap off an already stellar season. This marks the third consecutive year the tournament has seen a two-way share of the lead going into the final round. With more wind in the forecast and a dozen players within four shots, this Bermuda Championship finale is set to be an absolute rollercoaster. You can bet Port Royal is going to test every single one of them.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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