Austin Smotherman captured his second straight tournament on the PGA Tour by defeating Seamus Power in a three-hole playoff Monday morning at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
The 32-year-old Smotherman, who earlier this month won the Bank of Utah Championship, two-putted from 14 feet on the oceanside par-3 16th at Port Royal Golf Course after Power failed to get up and down from a gnarly lie in the rough.
“I’m still shaking,” Smotherman said after converting the 2-foot comeback for par. “That putt was not easy.”
The PGA Tour announced Sunday evening that the final round, already postponed earlier that morning, had been canceled because of high winds, including gusts exceeding 40 mph. That left Smotherman and Power, both at 16 under, to face off in the second Monday playoff this season; Viktor Hovland defeated Scottie Scheffler at the Travelers in late June.
It was Smotherman who missed the green on the first extra spin around a blustery No. 16. But Smotherman was able to scramble for par to match Power, who failed to make his 21-footer for birdie.
On the second playoff hole, still No. 16, Smotherman found the front portion of the green before cozying a 75-foot lag putt to tap-in range. Power found the left greenside bunker but was able to blast out and tie the hole, which was then re-cut for the third frame of overtime.
“I’m sure everybody wished we had an outright leader overnight Saturday, and unfortunately, things did not pan out for yesterday’s 18 holes,” Smotherman said. “Not complaining how things went down, but still getting to a playoff with Seamus, another two-time winner and he’s won in the playoff in the past. And getting to play this hole over and over and over again, you really don’t want to be on the tee box all day, but just enough times is what it took.”
By virtue of his victory, Smotherman, who’d already locked up a two-year winner’s exemption and membership on the new Championship Series in 2028, now is exempt through 2029 on that top tier. Not bad for a player who last year graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour for the second time in a decade as a pro; he won twice on the developmental circuit to earn his return trip to the PGA Tour, where he posted only three top-10s in 77 career starts from 2016 through 2024.
Austin Smotherman's year-by-year progression since turning pro a decade ago:
— Brentley Romine (@BrentleyGC) October 26, 2026
2016: Turned pro out of SMU
2017: Posted 3 top-10s in 14 starts on PGA Tour Latinoamerica, finished 30th on points list
2018: Had a win and four other top-10s to finish 4th in PGA Tour Latinoamerica… pic.twitter.com/G5XAiFaDzD
Power, 39, was trying for his third career PGA Tour title, first since Bermuda in 2022. He also captured the 2021 Barbasol Championship in a six-hole playoff over J.T. Poston. With his second in Bermuda, he rose from No. 103 to No. 68 in points, locking up full status for next year.
This was just the second playoff in Bermuda Championship history and the first since Brian Gay beat Wyndham Clark in 2020.
Both Smotherman and Power have already withdrawn from the upcoming VidantaWorld Mexico Open, which begins Thursday.
