Another 59! Adam Hadwin Is Canada’s New Hero

Justin Thomas took his turn in Hawaii.

On Saturday in Palm Springs, Canadian Adam Hadwin made golf history during the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge.

Hadwin, the 196th-ranked player in the world, calmly tapped in a three-foot putt for par at LaQuinta’s 18th hole and became the first player from his country to shoot 59 on the PGA Tour.  In the process, he tied Chip Beck’s tour record for most birdies in a round — 13.

Hadwin started his day needing to work to make the 54-hole cut.  And work he did.  His sensational effort saw him blow past 67 players, going from a lowly four-under par after 36 holes to 17-under and into the 54-hole lead.  Hadwin became the first non-winner to shoot 59 but he hopes to remedy that on Sunday.

He was also a bit lost for words after his dream round.  How did it feel?  “Ummm, I don’t know, uh, perfect?” Hadwin said with a wry smile when asked the obvious question.

Hadwin had reached 12-under par for his round with two holes left to play and he took care of business quickly at the par four 17th when he parked his approach just four-feet from the hole and made that putt to go 13-under.  At the final hole he laid up with an iron off the tee then barely missed the green, leaving himself a 35-foot chip from the right fringe.  He left himself a testy three-footer but knocked it right in the hole.

“I was shaking,” Hadwin admitted, confessing that that last putt was a nervous one. “I was nervous.  It’s exciting to shoot 59 and it’s exciting to have a chance to win a golf tournament.”

Hadwin joined Thomas in the 59 club for this season.  The last time two 59s were recorded on the PGA Tour was 2010 when Stuart Appleby and Paul Goydos shot the magic number.

On Sunday, Hadwin will be looking at first-round leader Dominic Bozelli, who shot 69 and got to 16-under par and held the lead briefly until Hadwin finished his magical round.

“Definitely putting,” Bozelli said, describing what has carried him through three days.  “I’ve had a red-hot putter the past two days.”

Overnight leader Hudson Swafford had a chance to get to the lead, he was 18-under par with three holes to play at the Stadium Course but a double-bogey at 16 then a bogey at 17 left him at 15-under with Brian Harman and Bud Cauley.

A double-bogey by Phil Mickelson on the 18th at the Stadium Course hurt his chances, dropping him back to nine-under and a full eight shots off the lead.

Rains were in the forecast for Sunday afternoon, the PGA Tour moved up the tee times to try and beat the bad weather.

Third Round Scores: