Canadian Hadwin shoots 59 to take over third-round lead

The temperature barely climbed into the 60s on a spectacular, clear afternoon in the desert after two rainy days. Adam Hadwin stopped counting at 59 — 13-under 59, that is.

The 29-year-old Canadian shot the ninth sub-60 round in PGA Tour history and the second in 10 days to take the third-round lead Saturday in the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, California.

“I think everybody talks about kind of they were in a zone and I think that’s kind of what happened,” Hadwin said. “I was thinking about it. I knew exactly where I was. I knew exactly what I needed to do. It just didn’t seem to matter.”

Hadwin made a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th and got up-and-down for par making a 3-footer from just off the green on the par-4 18th at La Quinta Country Club.

“Last thing I wanted to do was miss a 3-footer for 59,” Hadwin said. “So, I was more relieved than anything walking off that green.”

Justin Thomas had an 11-under 59 last week in Hawaii in the first round of his Sony Open victory. Hadwin matched David Duval’s tournament record, a 13-under 59 on the Arnold Palmer Private Course in the final round of his 1999 victory. Jim Furyk shot a tour-record 12-under 58 last year in the Travelers Championship.

Hadwin was at 17-under 199 after starting the day tied for 49th at 4 under, a stroke below the eventual cut. He played the first two days at PGA West, shooting 71 on the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course and 69 on the Stadium Course the site of the final round Sunday.

“The Stadium Course is a much tougher course than La Quinta,” Hadwin said. “It’s a Sunday. I got a chance to win a golf tournament. That’s what you want going into Sunday, and I’m excited about that . ... They say one of hardest things in golf is to follow up a low round. I have to figure out a way to convince myself that I just shot 67.”

The former Louisville player is the first Canadian he was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and grew up in Abbortsford, British Columbia to break 60 on the tour. He’s also the first to accomplish the feat on a par-72 course since Duval, and the only non-winner to break 60 on the tour.

“I think what gives sort of me the most confidence is that I knew exactly what I needed to do and through that whole process, if anything, I was thinking 58,” Hadwin said. “So, to be able to do it when I needed to. I know I was nervous. The putt barely went in on 17, and I only had 6 feet.”

Hadwin had 13 birdies in the bogey-free round, hit 12 of 14 fairways, 15 of 18 greens in regulation, and needed only 21 putts. He opened with a par with the temperature in the low-50s and snow sparkling on the mountain peaks, birdied the next six and added another on No. 9 for a frontnine 29. He birdied Nos. 1115 to get to 12 under.

Hadwin credited playing partner Colt Knost for keeping him relaxed.

“He’s a character and so everything was very light, Hadwin said.

Said Knost: “We have been talking all week. We always talk when we play. So, I kept just trying to make it the same way, have fun with it and just talk to him and treat it like it’s a normal round. He knew where he stood, yeah. He was kind of joking about it. He was just focused on what he was doing. He did a great job.”