GLEN ALLEN, Virginia – Adam Hadwin needs to win this week’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship if he wants to return to the PGA Tour.
However, the 38-year-old Canadian’s chances of victory took a slight hit during Thursday’s opening round at The Federal Club. Hadwin was assessed a two-stroke penalty on the par-3 second hole for playing from the wrong place.
With preferred lies in effect, players are allowed one scorecard’s length of relief per MLR E-3, but Hadwin, whose tee shot came up short of the green and in the fairway cut, instead took a full club-length of relief.
Hadwin self-reported the infraction to rules official Adam Helmer, who is also Canadian, on the next hole after seeing one of his playing competitors taking the shorter relief. Part of the confusion could’ve been that Hadwin played in the PGA Tour’s Biltmore Championship a few weeks ago, when officials chose to extend the relief area back to a full club-length for the event.
Hadwin’s par was changed to a double bogey, and he eventually shot 1-under 70. A hot start on Friday, 5 under through 10 holes, then pushed Hadwin into contention. Had he not been docked two shots, he would’ve been tied for the lead at the time.
Hadwin, who played 11 straight seasons on the PGA Tour before losing full status after last season, entered this week ranked No. 54 in points. In 13 starts, he’s made seven cuts and posted two top-10s, including a runner-up at the Panama Championship in February. He also has made a dozen PGA Tour starts this year, making only five cuts and tallying a single top-25 finish.
