Sep 4, 2017
Hadwin checks off goal with Presidents Cup spot
Adam Hadwin clinched the final automatic qualification spot on the International team after finishing off the Dell Technologies Championship in a tie for 13th spot. TSN's Bob Weeks has more on Hadwin's accomplishment.
By Bob Weeks
Adam Hadwin set some lofty goals for himself at the start of this year and on Sunday, he checked another one off the list by making the Presidents Cup team.
Hadwin, who has posted a round of 59 and also won his first Tour stop, clinched the 10th and final automatic qualification spot on the International team after finishing off the Dell Technologies Championship in a tie for 13th spot.
“It's huge,” Hadwin said after his round in Boston. “I've been speaking about it all week; that it's been in the forefront of my mind.”
In making the team, he becomes the third Canadian to play in the biennial competition joining Mike Weir and Graham DeLaet.
Weir, who will serve as an assistant captain on the International team, was full of praise for his countryman.
“It’s great for him,” he said after the first 10 players on the team were solidified. “He played well [this weekend] and showed he can deliver when the pressure is on.”
Hadwin was on the bubble to earn the automatic spot but played a solid tournament, entering the final round just three shots off the lead. While he slipped on Sunday, firing a three-over 73, he easily held on to the last spot.
Weir, who played on five International teams, said he was more than prepared to launch an all-out lobbying effort to make his compatriot a captain’s pick if he failed to remain in the top 10. Nick Price, who is heading up the squad that will take on the Americans, will round out his side with two more selections on Wednesday.
Making the team is a big step and Weir said Hadwin will face a pressure like he never has before when he competes in the event that begins Sept. 28. That’s in part due to the team format that will see the Abbotsford, B.C., product partner in fourball and foursome competitions with other team members.
“It’s a different pressure,” Weir stated. “It’s like nothing he’s ever faced before. But I think it will help Adam. I know it helped me become a better player.”
Being an exceptional putter will benefit Hadwin in the event. Captain Nick Price has been emphatic that all the members of his team work diligently on their short games as that more often than not determines which side wins.
Hadwin, who will play in the third round of the FedEx Cup playoffs next week in Chicago, was planning to celebrate making the team by going to see his beloved Blue Jays take on the Red Sox on Sunday night at Fenway Park.