It wasn’t easy, but Adam Hadwin got it done. Here’s how things ended up at the Valspar Championship, as Hadwin held on for his first career victory:
Leaderboard: Adam Hadwin (-14), Patrick Cantlay (-13), Jim Herman (-12), Dominic Bozzelli (-12), Tony Finau (-11)
What it means: Hadwin started the day with a four-shot lead, and while he and Cantlay separated from the pack the Canadian never appeared to be in danger. That is, of course, until a watery tee shot on No. 16 led to a costly double bogey and allowed Cantlay to draw even. But Hadwin steadied his nerve, closed with a pair of pars and now has his first career win - and first Masters invite - two months after shooting a 59 at the CareerBuilder Challenge.
Round of the day: Finau started the day 10 shots off the lead, but he made the day’s biggest charge up the standings with a flawless 7-under 64. Finau birdied two of his first three holes, then added four more in a five-hole stretch from Nos. 8-12. It moved the big hitter up to solo fifth possession and gave him his second top-five finish in his last five starts.
Best of the rest: No one came within three shots of Finau, but Bozzelli’s 4-under 67 earned him a career-best finish on Tour. Bozzelli birdied three of his first seven holes and added a 10-footer for birdie on No. 17 to snag a share of third place, just a few weeks after he was solo fifth in Palm Springs.
Biggest disappointment: It’s tough to be disappinted with a career-best finish, but Cantlay let a possible playoff berth slip away on the 72nd hole. His approach from the middle of the fairway was fanned into a bunker, and his subsequent splash came up well short. A closing bogey allowed Hadwin to seal the win with a short par putt.
Shot of the day: Hadwin’s final approach rolled just through the green, but he opted to belly a sand wedge from there. The shot worked out just how he drew it up, and the up-and-down gave him his long-awaited victory.
Quote of the day: “I’m just lucky that 1-footer (on No. 18) wasn’t 1 ½ feet.” - Hadwin