Smotherman, Power tied for lead; playoff to decide winner

Noh Seung-yul finishes tied for 17th at 10 under par

Austin Smotherman (United States, left) and Seamus Power (Ireland), who finished the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in a tie for the lead after three rounds, will meet in a playoff Monday night to decide the winner. [Getty Images]
Austin Smotherman (United States, left) and Seamus Power (Ireland), who finished the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in a tie for the lead after three rounds, will meet in a playoff Monday night to decide the winner. [Getty Images]

The PGA Tour's Butterfield Bermuda Championship ($6 million purse) was reduced to a 54-hole event after strong winds forced the cancellation of the final round. Austin Smotherman of the United States and Seamus Power of Ireland, who share the lead, will settle the title in a playoff.

The PGA Tour announced Monday (Korean Standard Time) that the fourth and final round, scheduled at Port Royal Golf Course (par 71) in Southampton, Bermuda, had been canceled, with three-round scores standing as the official final results.

Gusts exceeding 65 kilometers per hour battered the course Sunday, making normal play impossible. Tournament organizers adjusted the schedule — including moving up tee times — but conditions did not improve and the round was called off. None of the 72 players who made the cut were able to start the fourth round.

With more severe weather forecast for the following day, the PGA Tour decided to conclude the event on 54 holes rather than the standard 72.

Smotherman and Power, however, finished the three rounds in a dead heat at 16 under par (197), and a playoff will determine the champion. The playoff was scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Monday (Korean Standard Time), subject to change depending on weather conditions.

Noh Seung-yul finished the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at 10 under par (203) after three rounds, placing tied for 17th. [Getty Images]
Noh Seung-yul finished the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at 10 under par (203) after three rounds, placing tied for 17th. [Getty Images]

Smotherman carded a 5-under-par 66 in the third round, while Power shot a 4-under-par 67, as both moved to the top of the leaderboard. Smotherman, who claimed his first PGA Tour victory at the Bank of Utah Championship earlier this month, is seeking his second career title. Power won this event in 2022 and is chasing his third career win and a return to the top four years later.

Noh Seung-yul, the only South Korean in the field, closed with a 2-under-par 69 in the third round — featuring an eagle, a birdie and a bogey — to finish at 10 under par (203) in a tie for 17th place.


yjc@heraldcorp.com