PALM HARBOR — Canadian Adam Hadwin has already broken 60 on the PGA Tour, and now he stands on the verge of his first victory after taking a four-stroke third-round lead at the Valspar Championship in Florida Saturday.
Hadwin sank two monster putts on the back nine to vault clear of the field with a bogey-free four-under-par 67 on the Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead course at Palm Harbor.
He is at 14-under 199 with one round left, with American Patrick Cantlay (66) closest on 10-under, and Jim Herman (71) next on nine-under.
Hadwin became the eighth player to shoot 59 on tour when he posted the magic number at the CareerBuilder Challenge in January, en route to finishing second at the event.
He is the only member of the tour’s elite 59 club without a tour victory.
But the 29-year-old has been making steady if not spectacular progress in his 77 starts on tour, and his long game has finally caught up with his putting.
“That was huge. To end on that, a ton of momentum going into tomorrow,” the native of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan told NBC television after using his cross-handed putting stroke to sink a six-footer to save par at the last.
His putter was certainly on fire earlier as he sank a 35-footer at the 12th hole and then topped that with a 55-footer three holes later.
Second-placed Cantlay, playing on a medical extension, jumped into contention with the day’s lowest round.
The 24-year-old has battled back issues throughout his young career, and also experienced a tragedy last February when his caddie Chris Roth was struck and killed by a car as the pair were crossing a road in California.
Chawrasia defends Indian Open
S.S.P. Chawrasia successfully defended his Indian Open title Sunday, finishing with a 10-under-par 278 for a comfortable seven-stroke victory.
Chawrasia held a two-shot lead when he completed his weather-delayed third round on Sunday morning and continued his fine form before signing off with 71 in the last round.
Malaysia’s Gavin Green finished second but never came close to challenging Chawrasia’s dominance, making two birdies and five bogeys in his last round of 75. He ended up 3-under, which sealed his first European Tour top-ten finish.
Scotsman Scott Jamieson played a par round of 72 to finish eight shots behind Chawrasia alongside Italy’s Matteo Manassero, who carded 73 in his last round.
Hendry wins New Zealand Open
Michael Hendry won a three-way playoff Sunday to capture the New Zealand Open, becoming the first home-grown winner of the tournament since 2003.
The 37-year-old Hendry claimed his sixth professional title, and his third on the PGA Tour of Australasia, when he made par on the first playoff hole, the par-3 18th, while his rivals Brad Kennedy of Australia and Ben Campbell of New Zealand both put their tee shots into a greenside pond.
Hendry closed with a bogey-free 2-under 69 Sunday to finish at 19-under and set the clubhouse lead.
He was joined by Kennedy, who made a double-bogey on his opening hole, but birdied the 17th for an even-par 71.
Campbell, who led at 20-under overnight, joined the sudden-death playoff when he birdied two of the last three holes for a final round of 72. — Agencies
