Hadwin hopes hot putter catches Els’ attention
Adam Hadwin had a message for the Presidents Cup International Team captain on Sunday.
“Hey, I’m here, Ernie,” Hadwin said after shooting an eight-under 63.
The 31-year-old Canadian’s plan this fall was to force his way onto Ernie Els’ radar and become one of four captain’s picks for the team event in Melbourne in December. With a runner-up finish at last week’s Safeway Open and his Sunday leaderboard surge in Las Vegas, he has done his part.
“That was definitely the goal to start the year,” he said. “I wanted to make a good impression anyway.”
On Sunday at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Hadwin shot a sizzling 63 to get to 20-under par and move up 17 spots into a tie for fourth.
Kevin Na recovered from a meltdown before beating fellow American Patrick Cantlay in a playoff. Na had given up a four-shot lead on the back nine, primarily due to a triple-bogey at the 10th hole.
Hadwin didn’t feel comfortable with his game for three rounds. Despite playing conservatively, he stayed in touch with the leaders through 36 holes, but fell 10 shots back after a Saturday 68, on a day when the leaders tore apart TPC Summerlin.
After Round 3, Hadwin’s patience was gone. But he knew the way he had the putter going that a low round on Sunday was a possibility. He delivered.
“Distance control has been off the charts the last couple weeks. Finally was able to, in this final round, get the sightlines matched and hit it where I was trying to see the ball going,” he said. “Today was about as pure as it gets.”
Hadwin finished the day with eight birdies and didn’t make a single bogey. Over the summer, the Abbotsford, B.C., native put plenty of time into further improving his ball-striking.
Hadwin’s original plan was to take next week off and play tour stops in South Korea and Japan, beginning Oct. 17. But his world ranking jumped inside the top50 last week, and will improve again after the Shriners. If he’s inside the top-50 on Oct. 14, he will get an exemption into the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in China, beginning on Halloween.
Heading into the weekend, Canadian Alena Sharp had a chance to win her first LPGA tournament, but it wasn’t to be.
Instead, rookie Cheyenne Knight claimed her first trophy on the women’s top tour, and she did it at home in Texas. Knight shot a five-under 66 to win the Volunteers of America Classic, by two shots at 18-under par.
Sharp, 38, led the tournament through two rounds, but finished tied for 14th at seven-under after back-to-back one-over-par 72s on the weekend.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. finished tied for 16th at five-under, two shots behind Sharp.
Henderson remains in second place in the season-long Race to CME Globe standings, behind Jin Young Ko.