On Saturday, Canadian Adam Hadwin became part of golf history, carding a remarkable 59 to vault into the lead at the PGA Tour’s CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, Calif. Unfortunately Sunday didn’t yield the same sort of magic as Hadwin played well, shooting 2-under par, but came up one shot short of winner Hudson Swafford.
“This is an incredible confidence boost,” Hadwin said. “I’d love to have won, but to go from two pretty average days at the start of the tournament to nearly winning seems pretty improbable.”
Hadwin, 29, from Abbotsford, BC, finished in second for the tournament, his highest finish on the PGA Tour. He won $629,400 on the week, and $925,050 on the year, and just outside of the Top 10 on the FedEx Cup standings. On Saturday, Hadwin became only the eighth player to break 60 on the PGA Tour, and only the fourth to do so on a par 72 course.
WATCH: Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin shoots 59, vaults into lead at CareerBuilder Challenge
“If you’d told me at the start of the week that I’d finish solo second and shoot 59, I’d sign those four cards right away,” Hadwin said in an interview with Global after his round. “The only disappointment I have in the final round is that I didn’t push Hudson more on the final holes.”
Playing on the more difficult Stadium Course on Sunday, Hadwin couldn’t find the bottom of the cup as readily as he did in his record-setting round the day before. He traded and birdie and bogey on the front nine, placing himself among a group of players vying for the lead. Hadwin grabbed a share of the lead with a birdie on the par 5 11th hole before dropping back after making a miscue on the par 3 13th.
“I think I held up pretty well, but if I had to nitpick anything, it would be that I didn’t hit as many solid shots or find as many fairways as I should have,” Hadwin said. “But I think I still made enough putts to make it interesting on the final holes.”
WATCH: Canadian Adam Hadwin wins the 2016 Rivermead Cup, finishes RBC Canadian Open at 1-under
While Hadwin was trying to get back on track, Swafford, who was paired with the Canadian, was making a charge. He made three consecutive birdies starting on the 15th hole, and solidified his lead when he stuffed his approach on the 17th to under two feet. It appeared Swafford was in command, but holed a 25-foot putt to stay within one of the lead.
However, Swafford pounded a drive down the 18th fairway and hit a tidy approach, while Hadwin missed the fairway and the green. Hadwin holed an 11-foot putt for par to finish in second, while Swafford tapped in short putt for the win.
“I wish I hit more good shots coming in, and specifically on 18 so I could push Hudson more,” Hadwin said.
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Overall, Hadwin said the week was a resounding success. He’s still chasing his first PGA Tour win, but the money earned by finishing in second guarantees him playing privileges for next year and will move him up the world rankings.
“I’d take away that I handled myself pretty well, and my putting will keep me right in the mix,” said Hadwin. “I had a ton of fun out there, and my confidence keeps building.”