Adam Hadwin builds 1-shot lead at Innisbrook
PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Adam Hadwin knows all about going low on the PGA Tour. Still to be determined is whether that translates into a victory.
Hadwin, who shot a 59 at the CareerBuilder Challenge two months ago, ran off five straight birdies to start the back nine Friday at the Valspar Championship and posted a 7-under 64 to take a one-shot lead into the weekend.
Even playing in the afternoon in a strong breeze and crustier putting surfaces, the Canadian one-putted every hole on the back nine until he had no choice but to lag a 20-foot birdie attempt on the 18th hole to make sure it didn’t race all the way off the green and into the fairway.
He shot 29 on the back and reached the halfway point at Innisbrook at 10-under 132, one shot clear of Jim Herman.
“You can’t go out and shoot 7 under on the Copperhead Course without doing everything right,” Hadwin said. “I put myself in position off the tee box, hit a ton of fairways then just really hit the irons solidly today . ... And here I am going into the weekend.” And he still has a long way to go. Herman, coming off a 62 in the opening round, began with 11 straight pars before trading birdies and bogeys and settling for a 71.
Tyrone Van Aswegen had a 65 and was two shots behind, followed by a group at 7under 135 that included British Open champion Henrik Stenson (71), Russell Henley (71) and Dominic Bozzelli (68).
Stenson opened with a birdie to get within one shot of the lead, but he didn’t make another one until holing a 30-foot putt on the 15th. He was fooled at times by the wind, which kept him from more reasonable birdie chances. Still, the 40-yearold Swede felt his iron play getting better, and he got one bonus that had nothing to do with golf. Walking down the second fairway, 2-year-old daughter Alice saw her dad and ran out to greet him.
“She doesn’t know how to stay outside the ropes, that’s for sure,” Stenson said with a smile. “She comes running in when she sees me. That was good.”
Stenson is No. 6 in the world, the highest-ranked player at Innisbrook. The Valspar Championship will be missing its other top 10 player because Justin Thomas, who swept the Hawaii swing, had a 74 and missed the cut.
Also missing the cut was Billy Horschel, leaving him no chance of qualifying for the Dell Match Play in two weeks. Horschel, who won the FedEx Cup in 2014 and reached as high as No. 12 in the world two years ago, has not been eligible for the last four World Golf Championships.
Hadwin could make his way into Match Play with a runner-up finish, though now it’s all about winning.
He became the ninth player with a sub60 rounds on the PGA Tour in the California desert, only to finish one shot behind Hudson Swafford. A week later, he was in the final group Saturday at Torrey Pines until fading to a 74-76 weekend.