The 22-year old from Abbotsford, B.C., planned to turn pro after finishing four years at the University of Louisville, but didn't have the cash to back his ambitions. In the end he rounded up a sponsor and six members from Morgan Creek Golf Course in Vancouver and with $60,000 in backing, he made it through qualifying school for the Canadian Tour. He's only played in four Canadian Tour events, but he finished second in two of them, good enough to get into the Canadian Open. And now, after shooting a second-round 66, he finds himself only a handful off the leader.
"I kind of have to pinch myself and think, ‘Is this real?'" he said. "Am I really doing this right now? So it's been a lot of fun."
The self-proclaimed "pretty lazy guy," played like someone much more experienced, according to his playing partners, which included Oshawa's Jon Mills, and first-round leader Brent Delahoussaye.
"He's a good player and just fresh out of college and doesn't look like any of this is affecting him," Delahoussaye said. "He hits it long and he can putt it really well."
Mills said Hadwin, who he hadn't met previously, played fearlessly. Apparently that was just an outside appearance – Hadwin says on the inside he was flustered by his first PGA Tour experience.
"Oh I was," he says, smiling. "You just couldn't tell."
Hadwin credited his caddie for keeping him focused on the task at hand. That caddie, Craig Sinclair, knows his way around St. George's Golf and Country Club. Sinclair is a strong amateur player and has won multiple club championships at St. George's. Sinclair was connected to the golfer through a member who plays at both Morgan Creek and St. George's, and Hadwin says the pairing has been hugely beneficial to him.
"I think he knows this place a bit better than I do," Hadwin says.
Hadwin's go-for-broke playing style was a hit with the spectators at the tournament, who quickly picked up on the fact he was not only the lowest Canadian in the field, but surging up the leaderboard. Young golfers often play without fear of the consequences of missed shots, and that was the case with Hadwin, who had six birdies in his second round to go with two bogeys, and five birdies versus three bogeys in his opening round.
"I want to stay aggressive," he says. "That way the swing will stay tight and I'll be able to hit some good shots."
By the time he reached the final hole, where he flared a long drive into the right rough, Hadwin recognized he could eclipse Stephen Ames, who shot 2-under par yesterday to sit at 5-under for the tournament. His scoreboard watching spurred him on to make a grinding up-and-down that included a 15-foot putt for a final par to come in one stroke ahead of Ames. No need for "tallest midget" jokes – Hadwin revelled in his success.
"I wanted to make the putt and stay low Canadian," he says. "That was a huge momentum boost for me for the weekend."
He'll need it. In the past young Canadians have made early runs at the tournament, only to fade under the weekend pressure. As an amateur, Vernon's Chris Baryla jumped up the leaderboard on Friday at the 2003 Canadian Open in Hamilton, only to fade, which was the case three years later when Waterloo's Victor Ciesielski dropped to the back of the pack as well.
However, Hadwin is more slightly more experienced than either of those Canadians. Could he have found lightening in a bottle. Not that anyone is expecting an inexperienced new tour pro to win the Canadian Open, but he seems convinced he can accomplish just that. With that in mind, he's remaining loose. Tonight's plan involves an Argos game against Hadwin's beloved B.C. Lions.
"I've got to cheer for my Lions," he says, laughing.
He'll hang out and have a couple of adult beverages and try to forget that tomorrow he'll be well up the leaderboard of his national open, trying to win a tournament that a Canadian hasn't taken in nearly 60 years. That's enough to keep one from sleeping, but not the seemingly unflappable Hadwin. He's played well beyond what anyone expected, he admits, so why should he have trouble sleeping now?
"That's one thing I've really never had an issue with – sleeping," he says. "As I mentioned earlier, I'm pretty lazy and it's a pretty comfortable bed, so once I hit the pillow I'm usually out."
Sleep tight Adam Hadwin because if you manage to shoot 66 again tomorrow, the sound of your new Canadian fans cheering may just keep you up.