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TSN Senior Reporter

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Adam Hadwin is set to tee off at the Wells Fargo Championship on Thursday, his first start since he finished tied for 24th at the Masters. For Hadwin, it’s the start of a busy run that will lead up to the U.S. Open in June.

He’s hoping for a continuation of what’s been a solid season that’s seen him earn $1.25 million, already the second highest level of his career.

This has come as he’s moved up in class, playing more events against the best players while also getting into some of the lucrative no-cut World Golf Championship tournaments. It’s a level with which the Abbotsford, B.C., product is growing comfortable.

Certainly the expectations of golf fans are high for Hadwin, but not any higher than his own.

“I didn’t think that they could get any higher than when I got out on tour,” he stated. “The more that you play well at these bigger events and prove to yourself that you can compete against the best in the world, the more you expect to do it on a weekly basis.”

Hadwin is currently 46th on the world ranking and 44th on the FedEx Cup list. He’s played 12 tournaments and made the cut in all 12 with three top 10s. Even with this good play, he’s had to learn to temper his outlook.

“I find that it’s difficult sometimes to manage those expectations and certainly it’s tough to kind of take a step back,” he admitted. “You can’t be thinking. ‘I should be doing this.’ It’s more go earn it and prove yourself. I do believe I can compete with the best in the world. I’ve played enough events now with them in the field and had good finishes. It’s there; it’s just a matter of getting the job done at this point.”

In his month off, Hadwin has been working hard to refine his game. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, he’s had to adjust to the conditions in the Southwest United States, not that he’s complaining or anything. Rather than rain, he deals with heat.

“It’s weather dependent,” he said of his practice schedule. “I’m in Phoenix and I’m here in triple digits so my whole focus when I practise on the off weeks is I want to do as much work as possible in as little time as possible. I want to make sure I’m rested, my body’s rested and I’m mentally prepared to go back out to tournament golf.”

Hadwin’s focus is not necessarily on big changes to his game. Rather, he spends a great deal of time dialing in the basics – stance, alignment, posture, ball position. Small imperfections with those can lead to wayward shots.

At the Masters, his driver went awry in the middle rounds, something he attributed to the ball getting too far back in his stance. Something as small as that, he said, can throw off his feel and have a ripple effect through his bag. For this week, however, he feels rested and ready to play.

After the Wells Fargo, Hadwin will play the Players, Memorial and the FedEx St. Jude Classic prior to the U.S. Open. He’ll also try to squeeze in a reconnaissance visit to Shinnecock Hill ahead of the year’s second major.

“Every chance to play a major is a good one and having the experience now of playing majors, especially having one British Open under my belt, is good,” said Hadwin, who missed the cut at last year’s Open Championship. “I just have a little bit better idea of what to expect and knowing how to play a golf course like that will help immensely. I think I’m better prepared for this year’s British and certainly better prepared for this year’s U.S. and PGA as well.”

While his focus is on golf, he’s still watching the NHL playoffs – even if his Vancouver Canucks are likely on the course like he is.

“I’ve kept an eye,” he said. “I watch more of the highlights to keep track of the series. I have some acquaintances on some of the other teams that I run across so I keep an eye on them.”

And Canadian fans will be keeping an eye on Hadwin. His strong season is set to continue.