AMGEN IRISH OPEN

September 11, 2024

Seamus Power

Royal County Down GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Delighted to be joined by Seamus Power. The Irish Open at Royal County Down, just how much are you looking forward to this week?

SEAMUS POWER: Yeah, obviously can't wait. You know, I actually haven't played County Down that much but I mean, it's world-renowned and it's actually in incredible condition. It's going to be great. Missing the Irish Open last year hurt a little bit. I have great memories from a couple years ago, so looking forward to some good crowds and hopefully decent weather, a little calmer today, and should be a good week.

THE MODERATOR: Back on the island of Ireland, what does this tournament mean to you.

SEAMUS POWER: It's one you plan for at the start of the year for me. I said missing last year was tough but everything, seeing familiar faces and hearing people rooting for you all day long, it's different. I obviously play mostly in America, and you don't see too many familiar faces and all that stuff. Having family, friends, all that kind of stuff and the history and tradition of the Irish Open on top of that, and you put in Royal County Down, it's something you looking forward to all year long.

THE MODERATOR: Just what would it mean to get your name on that trophy and win this event.

SEAMUS POWER: It would mean the world. Just when the Irish guys win, it's class, and put it on an iconic links golf course, it would be one of those iconic moments in your career that I just feel like you'd never forget and it would be so special to be able to share it with Irish people and family and friends as well.

Q. Getting back to this time last year, it has been a tough old journey. Can you describe the stages of it and how good do you feel at the moment?

SEAMUS POWER: Yeah, from last year, it was a longer journey back than I thought. It was a weird injury there in that left hip. Initially, I didn't think much of it. The Scottish Open, I had to withdraw from. Got the MRI and got the diagnosis. There was nothing massively torn so I thought that was good news. But then I came back in January after months and months of rehab and it wasn't right at all, 12 holes I think into Maui, I was limping up the fairway. That was the first moment it was scary. You kind of start to wonder how far is this going to drag on for because you know it's a pretty condensed schedule now. You may have to get started early. I was able to connect with them, one of the top hip surgeons randomly through a friend of mine, he was able to take a better look at it and put a cortisone shot on the tissue point and it's been really good since. Probably took another four or five weeks for that to kick in fully but since then it's been good.

It's just like he gave me like a list of dos and don'ts, and I've been very diligent with stuff, like avoiding stuff, and adding in a lot more recovery stuff. He said that was part of it. Maybe do more stuff after a round, cold plunges and sauna and stuff and it's been really good. Haven't had any issue since.

Last six, eight weeks was the best I've felt in a couple of years. It was nice, and once I got past that shot this January, that was the big worry point for me. The end of last year was obviously -- wasn't ideal to miss a bunch of stuff. At that point, Ryder Cup was kind of gone with the injuries. But it was one of those things I didn't think much of but caught up with me early in the year and I was able to get past it.

Obviously looking forward to this week and playing some good golf before the end of the year.

Q. (Inaudible.)

SEAMUS POWER: In the Pro-Am, we were talking about it today, we play a lot of tough conditions. We play north, south, east, west, and I don't know what it is now, but some very, very tough conditions. I don't know if you enjoy it anymore but you embrace the challenge a little more, and you learn some tricks that work for you, don't work for you. You get used to playing with four layers on and stuff. Maybe it's not going to be as windy the next few days but you get used to you'll those things and you get used to a shot that's near a green is a good shot. There's so much golf where you're struggling down the fairway -- it's a different challenge and different mindset. People spending nine holes today, it's survival out there and you're trying to make a 6-footer, and you don't know, it could go anyway depending on the gust of wind you get and you accept those things.

You learn some tricks of the trade, that's the way I think of it, and you do see it as an advantage, especially if you haven't played as much as of it. But a lot of the Amateur stuff is played on links courses, so I'm sure a lot of guys are thinking the same way. But this golf course is difficult. I haven't played it much. Played a couple years ago on the nicest day of the year, and even then it wasn't the easiest course. You've got some blind shots. So there's the mental side of it, you're trying to trust and have confidence in what you're picking, and then obviously you're adding some the difficulties of links golf of some of the greens and bunkers. It's going to be a tough challenge and hoping the wind backs off a little bit. Looks like it's going to be strong winds all week, so I think it will be a tough test for everyone.

Q. Your schedule --

SEAMUS POWER: A little bit up in the air. I have a thing on the left arm I was dealing with, so I have to go back next week, and if that all goes well, a bit more.

Q. Your last tournament was played in very different conditions. How difficult is it to adapt?

SEAMUS POWER: Yeah, it is tough. Like it's completely different. I mean, the last time I played in Memphis, we probably had eight Niall winds and soft greens that it stops pretty fast. You know as soon as it leaves the face where it's going to go. Where this week, you're aiming 15 yards right of the green and trying to hit a fade and hoping that it doesn't miss it left. It's completely different.

A lot of it is trying to trust the way it's set up; you're aiming off to an awful place, and you trust that the wind is going to move it. It was nice, I got to play 18 holes yesterday over in Portrush. Played again today in these sort of winds. You kind of re-learn it pretty quickly and see what you can and can do, and just going to make sure you trust what we're going to do.

Q. How does your game suit the challenge this course presence?

SEAMUS POWER: I think pretty well. This is the best year of my ball-striking since I've been a pro. You need that this week if it's going to blow. One, two, three, you'd better hit good shots. Today I hit some good ones. And I've always had a good short game, which I think you're going to need because I don't care how well you hit it. It's going to roll off. You've going to have to get up-and-down.

I think it's good for me. It's tough to say. I haven't played as much links golf as I did when I was younger, I feel like I'm learning and relearning pretty quickly but obviously the truth is going to be told in the next few days.

Q. Strategic options that this course presents, incredible golf architecture, where on the golf course, what areas do you think --

SEAMUS POWER: It's interesting, even on the front today we were talking about it. We've got holes like No. 5 where I feel like it's probably designed to just hit it short of like a corner bunker on the left. But the wind was so strong, it crossed. And feeding into that bunker, it's going to be so hard to keep it out of that maybe you don't change your strategy and almost hit it way right and past it. There are a couple of spots like that.

Even hole No. 3 is always an interesting one to me because I feel like I hit the clever shots, a weird thing to say, a shot that you think it is, but you get up there and you have 212 yards to the hole, and then this week, seeing where the rough is kind of okay. That's one of the opportunities where I think you can push it up a bit further and if it does go through the fairway, it's not the same rough as the other holes. There are spots to take advantage but at the same time, you get it going in the wrong direction in the wind, and that plan goes out the window pretty quickly. It's going to be trying to match up picking your spots and you're still going to have to trust hitting good shots. No. 5, you're standing on tee with driver and you're aiming so far what looks right on the line but it is the line if you're going to hit that shot. It's going to be a lot of that with your caddie and yardage book and making sure you know what you're doing.

Q. Do you feel pressure playing in the Irish Open as a local lad?

SEAMUS POWER: The pressure, you obviously have the external pressure, but a lot of it for me is I don't get to play often at home, just wanting to play well almost a bit too much. For us, it's not another tournament. During the season for me, if I'm playing in the U.S., most of them don't mean a whole lot to me. It's just your job and you're trying to well and your points and this.

But this one, the people you care about are going to be following and you have Irish fans and stuff and you want to play well for them, obviously for yourself, but for them, too. Golf is such a popular sport in Ireland. Irish people in general are very, very proud, and it would be such a huge, like, honour to get up and be in an exciting part of the tournament.

I think that's where the pressure for me comes from. It's the internal desire to play well in front of people that you don't really get to play in front of that often.

Q. Ryder Cup in Bethpage next year, does the change in the points system suit you?

SEAMUS POWER: I don't know. It's always hard to tell. I mean, it's hard to tell. I'm not sure. It did steam to be a little bit more skewed towards guys playing in America at first glance, but these events in Europe in the second half of the season are going to count, too. I'm not entirely sure.

I feel like if I get back to my form, I'll have a good chance and I'll play Europe some, and I'll obviously play a lot in America and maybe kind of see what happens.

But it's going to be a huge goal. Like everyone, every golfer from Europe dreams of playing in Ryder Cup, and you know it's going to be a nasty atmosphere in New York, and it's going to be difficult. It's going to be one of the most difficult places for an away team in history. Maybe at the start of last year, I had a chance to be there, and then seeing all the boys play so well and celebrate -- it's going to be a huge goal again.

Q. Finally, your ranking for next season on the PGA TOUR changed. Are you going to alter your schedule, as well?

SEAMUS POWER: It's so weird, the new schedule. If I can stay in the Top 60, it's very helpful for the rest of this season. Some of it's tricky. It's up in the air, and we'll see. Top 60 is still good for those big-point events. But yeah, there's always carrots rots in golf. You're always trying to stretch for something.