The West Waterford man (38) needs some big finishes, or a third PGA Tour win, if he’s to play his way into the signature events and the majors.
But he sounds ready for that challenge after getting back to full fitness and spotting a flaw in his putting late last year.
“It was a great way to finish,” said Power, who birdied his final three holes in Thursday’s 65 before rapping in a 15-footer for a closing eagle three on the North Course last night to make the cut at Torrey Pines for the first time.
“It’s two days in a row I’ve finished on a high, so it gives you a lot of positive stuff going into the weekend. And my ball striking was a lot better today. So it felt very under control.”
Rose (45) is the man to catch over the weekend after he followed his ten-under 62 on the North Course with a brilliant 65 on the South to lead with a record 17-under, 36-hole aggregate as he seeks his second win at Torrey Pines.
Rose will be tough to beat, but Power is looking dangerous again after correcting a putting flaw that held him back last year, and he’s up for the fight.
“I know Justin a little bit,” Power said. “He’s always been nothing but nice to me over my career. He’s having an incredible career, so it will be great to play with him.
“Going out there and getting a chance to compete against Justin, I mean, that’s what you practice for. So it will be really fun.”
Power had just 27 putts last night, and after rolling in 160 feet of putts in his first round, he credited his hot putting to spotting that he was hitting putts out of the heel when he was watching slow-mo video of his stroke during putter testing last year.
Brooks Koepka looks over his tee shot on 10
“This off-season, I was trying to get that back as close to the centre as possible,” said the Tooraneena man, who has also regained speed and distance after also sorting out a niggling back injury last year.
“It’s helped a lot. I feel like the ball is starting closer online, and my speed has been better.”
Power started the day tied for fifth after his brilliant opening 65 on the South Course, just three strokes behind Rose.
But while the Englishman made a dream start on the South, making an eagle and three birdies on the front nine to get to 15-under, Power was also in stunning form on the North.
He birdied his second hole, the 11th, picked up another shot from six feet at the 13th and he brushed in a 10-footer at the 17th.
His outward nine of 33 might have been a few better with a little more luck on the greens, but while the gap grew to five shots as Rose turned in five-under 31, Power remained patient.
He shaved the hole with an eagle putt at the fifth and tapped in for birdie, then rolled in a 20-footer at the driveable seventh.
He came up short in deep rough at the 214-yard eighth after a wind switch and dropped his only shot of the day.
But he hit a big drive and a 215-yard five iron to the 556-yard ninth and rolled in a 15-footer for an eagle three.
Joel Dahmen, Si Woo Kim and McGreevy were joint third on 11 under while Brooks Koepka shot 67 at the North Course to make the three under cut with a shot to spare in his first PGA Tour start since quitting LIV Golf.
