Adam Hadwin is looking to cap a strong year on the Canadian Tour as he defends his title at the Desert Dunes Classic, the final event on the CanTour, which is being held in Palm Springs, Cal. from Nov. 3 to 6.
After Thursday's opening round he was tied for 46th, having shot 72. Albertan Stuart Anderson was the leader with a 64.
Hadwin, a 23-year-old Abbotsford native, has been the story of the year in Canadian golf. Playing in just five events on the PGA Tour, the two-time Canadian Tour winner made all five cuts, and earned $440,752.
That was enough to earn him conditional status on the Nationwide Tour for 2012.
“Having some Nationwide Tour status is a huge help, and gives me another chance to prove myself at the next level,” he said.
Hadwin’s goal for the 2012 season, however, is to play on the PGA Tour. He recently earned a bypass into the final stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School. Hadwin had expected to take part in the second stage next month, where he would have needed to qualify for the final stage. The direct step to final stage Nov. 30-Dec. 5 in La Quinta, Calif., takes a big grind out of the process of earning his tour card. The top 25 from the final stage of Q School will earn full-time status on the PGA Tour.
He is a perfect six-for-six in cuts made on the PGA Tour, dating back to his debut on the big tour in 2010 at the RBC Canadian Open. Since then, Hadwin has amassed two top 10s and three top-40 showings, accounting for just over $460,000 in earnings.
This week Hadwin is out to defend his title at Desert Dunes.
“Last year’s win was pretty special for me, seeing as how it was my first win on a recognized tour, and it definitely played a role in my progress this year,” he said.
– With files from the CanTour media centre