Rookie's Collapse Allows Seamus Power to Prevail in Bermuda

Ben Griffin had a two-shot lead early in the back nine, but four straight bogeys and a double opened the door for Seamus Power to win for the second time.

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — Seamus Power did enough right and left all the mistakes to PGA Tour rookie Ben Griffin on Sunday to win the Butterfield Bermuda Championship for his second tour title.

Power took the lead for good with a 25-foot birdie putt at the 14th. A bogey on the final hole gave the Irishman a 1-under 70 and a one-shot victory over Thomas Detry, who earlier had holed a bunker shot on the 18th for birdie and a 67.

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But it was Griffin who had the best chance.

Just more than a year after Griffin was working as a loan officer, he had a shot at winning on the PGA Tour and going to the Masters. He started the back nine at Port Royal with back-to-back birdies, putting him at 5 under for the day and with a two-shot lead over Power.

And then it all fell apart.

Griffin bogeyed four straight holes, followed by a double bogey on the par-3 16th that effectively ended his chances.

The turning point came at the 14th when Griffin hooked his tee shot, had to take a penalty drop and make his third straight bogey, while Power holed his birdie putt for a two-shot swing and his first lead of the day.

Both made bogey on the 15th. Griffin hit a hard draw into a strong wind that went into the hazard above the Atlantic Ocean, leading to another penalty drop and another missed putt for a double bogey.

“This course was always going to be a tale of two sides,” Power said. “I knew it was going to be hard coming in and it was. I’m delighted to get it done.”

Power won last year at the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky, held the same week as the British Open. This victory moves him to No. 32 in the world. He came into Bermuda at No. 48, the highest-ranked player in the field.

After making four straight bogeys and then a double bogey, Griffin used iron off the tee on the par-5 17th and watched it run through the fairway and into the water. He took his third penalty drop in four holes, though at least managed a par.

Power went just over the green and chipped to 3 feet for birdie, giving him a two-shot lead over Detry and room for error playing the last hole.

“It was a fun week. I hate to finish the tournament the way I did,” said Griffin, who shot 72 and tied for third with Patrick Rodgers (65) and Kevin Yu (67). “As I gain more experience, I’m going to get more comfortable.”

Griffin and Power were tied going into the final round, and it was Griffin who seized control early with four birdies in the opening six holes. He looked like a winner when he rolled in birdie putts on the 10th and 11th to extend his lead to two shots.

But he missed a 6-foot par putt on the 12th, and he missed a 4-foot par putt on the next hole, and it only got tougher from there.