Séamus Power is one of those involved in potential subplots at play in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch just north of Dallas, where the Waterfordman – who skipped last week’s Zurich Classic, won by Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy – returns to the PGA Tour following a season’s best finish of tied-12th in the Heritage Classic last month.
Currently ranked 110th in the world, Power needs to break into the top 100 on the OWGR for Monday’s cut-off date if he is to earn an exemption into the US PGA Championship at Valhalla in a fortnight’s time. A win, of course, would solve all of those issues.
The PGA of America has traditionally extended exemptions to those in that bracket – and occasionally moving a number of places above – in ensuring that it has one of the strongest fields of the four Major championships.
Power, who is the sole Irish player competing in Texas, has finished in the top 20 in the Byron Nelson each of the past two years but the course is expected to play soft this time around following periods of heavy rainfall in the area with the probability that placing will be allowed on fairways through all four rounds.
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Australia’s Jason Day hasn’t won since lifting the title a year ago, which ended a five-year winning drought, but has three top-10s on the PGA Tour so far this season and has worked with his coach in improving his iron play:
“In regards to my play, I haven’t been that happy with it or that pleased with it. My short game has been great. Putting has been great. Off the tee has been great. The iron play has been kind of letting me down. So just working on a few things to try and alleviate some of the stress and pressure that the iron play is putting on the rest of my game. I feel like I’ve kind of turned a corner now, which has been great,” said Day.
That win last year for the former world number one and 2015 US PGA champion ended his winless drought and brought some “relief” with it.
“Golf is a funny game, not only physically, but mentally as well. Especially where I’ve been, like I’ve been to the top of the mountain before and then to be where I was during that five-year span of like ‘do I really want to push enough? Kind of push through this and get through the pain of it all?’.
“But it was great to finally see all the work that I’ve been working on pay off ... It’s amazing how mentally tough this game can be. And I would always say to myself that if I can talk myself into a bad shot I can talk myself into a good shot. It’s human nature to feel down and guilty for yourself. I just kept on saying to myself, ‘its only a short period of time’. Ultimately it happened here last year, which was fantastic.”
Lowdown - The CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Purse: €8.9 million (€1.6m to the winner)
Where: McKinney, Texas, USA
The course: TPC Craig Ranch – 7,414 yards par 71 – is a Tom Weiskopf-designed course which makes very good use of Rowlett Creek, a stream that crosses no fewer than 14 holes on the layout. A former regular stop on the Korn Ferry Tour, the Byron Nelson – which is under new sponsorship from Korean company CJ in a 10-year deal after AT&T finished up its association – moved to the course in 2021. One of Weiskopf’s favourite holes is the drivable Par 4 14th of 330 yards which brings water into play down the left.
The field: Jordan Spieth returns to a favoured event after missing last year’s edition – won by Jason Day – due to injury. Given its new place in the schedule, a week ahead of the Wells Fargo (a signature event) and two weeks out from the US PGA, there are a large number of players skipping this week’s tour stop with no Scottie Scheffler (who is expecting the arrival of his firstborn) nor Rory McIlroy nor, indeed, anybody from the world’s top 10. KH Lee, a two-time winner in 2021 and 2022 but dethroned by Day last year, heads a very strong Korean contingent, many of them based in the Dallas area, while there is an added incentive for players looking to get into the field at Quail Hollow next week and also those currently outside the world’s top 100 who need an exemption into the PGA through that OWGR route.
Quote-Unquote: “The main think I remember is I would come with an empty hat and I would leave (with it) covered in autographs from everybody” – tour rookie Hayden Springer recalling the times he attended the Byron Nelson as a young kid, aged “five or six”. Springer earned a full card at Q-School last year and is making his debut in his hometown event.
Irish in the field: Séamus Power is in a group with Ryan Brehm and Joel Dahmen (off the 10th at 6.33pm Irish time).
Betting: Jordan Spieth – runner-up two years ago – would love to add the Byron Nelson to his CV and the Texan is the market leader at odds of 14-1 ahead of defending champion Jason Day who is rated a 16-1 shot. There is a strong Korean connection with the tournament, given how many of them live in the Dallas area, and Ben An has shown strong form of late and is worth a look at 20s ... each-way value can be found with two-time winner on the course, KH Lee, who is a 45-1 shot.
On TV: Live on Sky Sports (featured groups from 12.45pm, full live coverage from 9pm).
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