It is a shade early to be thinking of who we will be celebrating as the stars of the sporting year when we look back on 2022 but this is another Monday morning when the name of Seamus Power looms large across the headlines.
His third-place finish in Hawaii on the US PGA Tour last night has moved him into the Top 50 of the world rankings, a position which is only one behind Shganme Lowry and which, if he holds it over the next two months will assure him of a start at the 2022 US Masters in Augusta.
Twelve months ago Power was clinging on to be within the world’s Top 500 but this is a run that has been as consistent as it has been spectacular.
This weekend was the 14th time in the last 21 tournaments that he has finished in the Top 25, and the sixth time he has come in the Top 10.
He has also secured his first win on the US Tour when he landed the Barbasol Championship last July.
Power, born in Waterford and a graduate of a golf scholarship at East Tennessee State University, represented Ireland alongside Padraig Harrington at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
He has now brought he total career earnings to $5.3 million at the age of 34 and is heading towards a year of being a contender at the Majors for the first time in his career.
That is the very high standard by which the general public tends to judge golfing professionals and Power is now worthy of inclusion in any conversation around our top sporting stars.
We have not seen much of him here in Ireland with a sponsors invite to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open the only time he has competed in the tournament at Lahinch back in 2019.
He is sponsored by Power Home Remodelling, a US-based home builder that bills itself as a ‘Dream Realisation’ company and as a ‘Relentless improvement’ company.
It is obviously not just the name that is appropriate for the partnership.
