Adam Hadwin said Saturday night that despite giving the best player in the world a four-shot lead, he was hopeful to get off to a good start and at least give Scottie Scheffler “something to think about.”
The Canadian did exactly that Sunday at the Memorial Tournament. But in the end Scheffler was inevitable, winning for the fifth time already in 2024. The world No. 1 started the day with that four-shot cushion and won by one over Collin Morikawa after a slippery par-saver on the final hole.
Hadwin did, however, walk away with one consolation prize and one almost-there accomplishment.
Hadwin’s third-place result was his best finish of the season on the PGA Tour and with that, he earned a return trip to The Open Championship at Royal Troon (the Memorial was part of The Open Qualifying Series) becoming the second Canadian in as many weeks to stamp his ticket across the pond — with Mackenzie Hughes doing it last week at Hamilton.
It will be Hadwin’s first time at The Open since 2021.
Perhaps more importantly than that, Hadwin is projected to leapfrog Corey Conners (who finished tied for 20th at the Memorial) for the second spot on Canada’s Olympic golf team with the cut-off date being a week from Sunday, after the final round of the U.S. Open.
Nick Taylor has all-but locked up the first qualifying spot at No. 30 in the world. Hadwin’s finish at the Memorial sees him projected to move up to No. 35, whereas Conners is No. 46.
Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes were Nos. 64 and 65 heading into the Memorial and will likely need a victory at the U.S. Open next week to make the squad heading to Paris.
Hadwin opened his day at Muirfield Village — where Jack Nicklaus played host to the PGA Tour’s latest Signature Event — going 3 under through seven holes. With Scheffler 1 over through eight, Hadwin was breathing down his neck — exactly as he drew it up.
Unfortunately, the tricky Muirfield (which played a full two shots over par on Sunday) bared its teeth as Hadwin, and the rest of the leaders, made the turn.
Hadwin bogeyed Nos. 8 and 9 before making the turn and then rattled off bogeys on his final three holes to shoot 2-over 74.
Still, the Canadian said he was proud of the way he fought until the end.
“It does sting to kind of finish the way I did — 16 through 18. I had put a Band-Aid on the round for a long time before that, previously, and the Band-Aid came off and it was carnage. So, it’s disappointing, but look, I take a lot of positives away from this week,” Hadwin said.
“I can compete with some of the best players in the world on a very difficult golf course and that’s what I’m going to have to do next week as well.”
Hadwin will be one of seven Canadians in the field next week at Pinehurst — tied for the most ever. He said there were plenty of similarities between these two weeks.
“I think it’s a pretty good preparation. You could look at it one of two ways; either it’s good prep for next week or we just got our butts kicked before going into next week,” Hadwin said. “I expect the USGA to do what the USGA does, make it very difficult on us, challenge us mentally more than anything.”
Hadwin and Taylor grew up playing golf together, so it would be a special opportunity for them — as the eldest of this impressive Canadian generation on the PGA Tour — to qualify together for the Olympics this summer.
But with even more world-ranking points available at the U.S. Open, the third major of the season on the PGA Tour, anything can happen.
“I feel like I’m in a pretty good spot,” Hadwin said. “I’m just going to have to kind of rest up and, again, just keep doing what I’ve been doing.”