With the Presidents Cup in his sights and high hopes to return to major championship fields, Adam Hadwin knows a strong start to 2019 is essential.
The Abbotsford, B.C., golfer is in the field this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii B次元官网网址� the first full-field event of the 2019 portion of the PGA Tour season B次元官网网址� alongside fellow Canadians Mackenzie Hughes, Ben Silverman, Roger Sloan, Adam Svensson, and Nick Taylor.
Hadwin, who notched two top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour and represented Canada at the World Cup of Golf with Taylor (they tied for fourth) during the fall of 2018, said heB次元官网网址檚 excited to get back into the heat of competition again.
B次元官网网址淚 was excited to have some time off, but I was excited to get right back to it,B次元官网网址� Hadwin said by phone from Phoenix. B次元官网网址滺opefully that translates into another quick start this year.B次元官网网址�
Hadwin finished 36th in the season-long FedEx Cup race and earned just over US$1.9 million last year.
He said he was committed to improving his ball striking in 2018 and was pleased to have done that. However, it came at the expense of his putting. The 31-year-old was 115th in putts per round last year, after being 20th in the same statistic the year before.
Playing around on set with and .. just snuck it over from 45yds...
B次元官网网址� adam hadwin (@ahadwingolf)
B次元官网网址淚 definitely lost in putting, and that was plainly obvious as the year went on,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hat was a big thing heading into this year B次元官网网址� I need to spend a little more time (on putting). IB次元官网网址檒l spend a extra few minutes putting each day, dialling in the speed each day before rounds.B次元官网网址�
With HadwinB次元官网网址檚 first PGA Tour victory in 2017 he earned a spot into each of the majors and the limited-field, high-purse World Golf Championship events last year. With no victory in 2018, and with his world ranking not high enough, he has to fight to earn a spot into those tournaments this year.
The only Canadian who has a guaranteed spot in one of the four majors this year is Mike Weir at the Masters. His victory in 2003 affords him a lifetime exemption.
B次元官网网址淐oming off a year where you got to plan everything, it was kind of nice. But now IB次元官网网址檓 right back to where I was before. ItB次元官网网址檚 a goal (to get into the majors) but I need to get off to a good start,B次元官网网址� Hadwin said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 the top priority for the first part of the year.B次元官网网址�
READ MORE:
The PGA TourB次元官网网址檚 schedule for 2019 underwent a big change and Hadwin says heB次元官网网址檚 already looking to gear up for The Players Championship and the PGA Championship (both tournaments have been moved to an earlier slot) along with the RBC Canadian Open in its new early-June date.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e seen a significant drop off in play from May to July so IB次元官网网址檝e been taking a look at those months (and) trying to figure out a way to keep a consistent level of play throughout the entire year, not just the beginning and end,B次元官网网址� he said.
HadwinB次元官网网址檚 ultimate goal for 2019 is to guarantee himself a spot on the Presidents Cup team. He finished 0-2-1 in his debut for the International side versus the Americans in 2017 but is currently the highest-ranked Canadian in the standings.
There are eight Canadians with good status on the 2018-19 on the PGA Tour B次元官网网址� the six playing this week plus David Hearn and Corey Conners B次元官网网址� and Hadwin says itB次元官网网址檚 a great group to be part of.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had some tremendous success as a nation these last few years,B次元官网网址� said Hadwin, who, along with Taylor and Hughes have all won on the PGA Tour. Silverman and Svensson have also won on the Web.com Tour the last two years.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e all proud to represent Canada when we play, and hopefully weB次元官网网址檒l see all eight of us playing well and a couple of us in contention.B次元官网网址�
CANADIANS TO WATCH IN 2019
MACKENZIE HUGHES B次元官网网址� After becoming a first-time father in late 2017, Hughes, of Dundas, Ont., struggled to find the form that saw him win The RSM Classic in 2016. HeB次元官网网址檚 looking to bounce back after settling into a nice routine at home.
COREY CONNERS B次元官网网址� Conners, of Listowel, Ont., got married in the fall and is hopeful the good vibes of Canadian golfers who tie the knot (Hughes got married and won on the PGA Tour in the same year, same with Hadwin) follows him into 2019. Conners was in the final group on Sunday twice in 2018.
NICK TAYLOR B次元官网网址� Talk about saving the best for last. Taylor, of Abbotsford, shot a 63, his best round of the year, in the final round of the PGA TourB次元官网网址檚 regular season in 2018. He earned a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs and fully exempt status for 2019 thanks to that result. He won the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship.
ADAM SVENSSON B次元官网网址� Svensson won on the Web.com Tour in 2018 and earned a spot on the PGA Tour for the first time thanks to his money-list rank on the feeder Tour. The native of Surrey, B.C. made two cuts in the fall.
GRAHAM DELAET B次元官网网址� DeLaet is on a major medical exemption for this year as he recovers from back surgery. DeLaetB次元官网网址檚 agent, Danny Fritz, told The Canadian Press by email the golfer was a B次元官网网址渓ittle soreB次元官网网址� after hitting balls last week but B次元官网网址渁ll-in-all he feels much better these days.B次元官网网址� There is no exact day of return.
Adam Stanley, The Canadian Press
Like us on and follow us on .
