|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 12, 2017Adam HadwinPalm Harbor, Florida DOUG MILNE: We'd like to welcome the winner of the 2017 Valspar Championship. Adam, congratulations on your first career PGA TOUR victory. You're obviously in the midst of a great season with a 59 early, and the confidence level has obviously paid off and with the victory, and a lot of good things including No. 4 in the FedExCup standings. With that said, just a few comments on getting the job done today. ADAM HADWIN: Thank you. It's a tremendous honor to be sitting up here right now in front you all as the 2017 Valspar Champion. You're never quite sure when you're going to get the job done, and like you mentioned, Doug, I've been playing some great golf this year, and I had my chance at Career Builder and played well and got beat. You know, I just went out there today and stuck to what I do best, and just hit some quality golf shots, and really made the game super easy outside of hole No. 16. You know, I feel a little fortunate after that hole to be sitting here with you, but I'll certainly take it and I can't wait for everything that comes with this win. Q. How did you settle yourself going to 17, because your shot turned out fine. It didn't look that way on follow through or face, necessarily. ADAM HADWIN: Yeah, I was still in the golf tournament. I was tied for the lead with two holes to go. You know, I would have loved to have kept that 2-up lead with two to play. I think I said in here yesterday, that if I have a chance going down the last couple holes, that's right where we want to be. That's why we practice, to win golf tournaments in those situations. I didn't get the cleanest of strikes on 17, but it hung in there. The wind kind of held it up a little bit and I had a decent look at birdie. I hit two real quality golf shots on 18. Just kind of ran through the back edge. But lagged it up there and put the pressure on him. Q. Did it feel like you had a chance -- I know you did, but coming off a two-shot lead, did you have to remind yourself of that? ADAM HADWIN: Yeah, I knew that I was still in the golf tournament. Obviously I wanted to make that putt for bogey to really get away from that hole not losing too much. I've played great golf all week, and I knew that 17, 18, again, are no bargain. You've got to hit quality golf shots, so I had to refocus quickly and get back into it. You know, Patrick had played some unbelievable golf up until that point, as well. So I knew that I couldn't just kind of coast in. Q. You were coasting there right around the turn, and I think Patrick had maybe birdies in five of six holes. What was that kind of like, and that goal? You were answering and he was answering; it was pretty exciting. ADAM HADWIN: It was very exciting. You know, honestly, I just couldn't hit it close enough today to really kind of add the pressure back on to him. I mean, he hit some incredible shots, and probably should have made a few more putts, as well. A lot of them looked good. I snuck that long one in there on 13 to kind of keep my momentum and kind of keep ahead. Who knows where we would have been on 16 had that putt not gone in. I had fun. I relished the moments and I really enjoyed it out there. You know, minus one bad shot on 16, it was a lot of fun out there today. Q. I guess they say anything worthwhile isn't easy. Does it make it sweeter that you had to work so hard for this? ADAM HADWIN: Yes and no. Yes; I can't say that I've been through a lot, but I've worked my butt off to get here. I've slowly improved each and every year. I've won at every TOUR level that I've been on, and now I can call myself a PGA TOUR winner. I hate -- I want to win golf tournaments. I hate to win when somebody makes a bogey on 18. You know, with that said, like I said, I hit two good, quality shots on 18, and a great belated wedge off the fringe there to really put the pressure. I mean, he had to make it and that was it. I would have loved to roll that in to not give him a chance, but I'm elated to be sitting right here right now. Q. I guess the honeymoon is on hold. What does it mean now to be going to your first Masters, as well? ADAM HADWIN: I don't know, I'm pretty much speechless at this point. I don't think -- you know, I said when I shot 59, it was probably going to take a few weeks to settle in, and really kind of soak in what I did, and I think the same goes for this. It's just such a whirlwind of emotions. You're on the golf course and you're focusing so hard, the next shot, the next shot, the next shot. And when it's finally over and you're holding the trophy, you're not sure what to think at this point. You are mind is almost going, 'I have to play well tomorrow,' and there is no tomorrow at this point. But at the same time, I'm going to enjoy it, but I've got another tournament next week and I'm looking forward to the challenges that Bay Hill is going to bring. Hopefully jumping into contention again, and you know I'd love to say I get to sit back and relish a little bit the week of my wedding, but I think I'll be more focused on that that week. I think it will truly hit me when I first make that first drive down Magnolia Lane and that that is actually happening. Q. Not to dwell too much on it, but the drive on 16, kind of take me through what you were trying to do and how did you describe the shot that you hit. ADAM HADWIN: Yeah, I was just trying to do the same thing I had done the three previous days. There's two trees out there on the left, through the fairway. One is shorter, one longer, and I've just kind of peeled out a driver, 3-wood off the left tree into the right one through the fairway, and tried to do the same thing again today and just kind of wiped it. Just wiped a 3-wood. I needed to hit it solid. If I hit it solid, it will cover on any line there. But I just didn't hit it solid enough, and splash. (Laughter). Q. You said you're never quite sure when your victory is going to come, but was there any time during the back nine that your lead is dwindling that you thought this might not be your time? ADAM HADWIN: No. It never dawned on me that this would be my time or that it wouldn't be my time. There was no looking ahead. I really was so patient and just so focused on hitting good quality golf shots, and you know, I had the lead. He had to come get me. So whether it's one, two or four; he kept coming and he kept making some putts. At that point, I don't want to say that it was just about outlasting him, but it was -- the focus was just hitting quality golf shots and putting the pressure on him. Not letting him back in the tournament by doing silly things, and then I went ahead and hit in the water on 16. You know, I had to quickly refocus. After dropping, I didn't have the easiest of third shots going up through there. You know, who knows what could happen. I did a really good job of getting back into a good mind-set, and it helped me to sit here with you all today. Q. Just a quick follow. Is he tough to compete against because it doesn't seem like he's breathing? ADAM HADWIN: No, Patrick, he's very focused on his game. He's obviously playing some great golf right now. You know, he hit a lot of putts, too, that looked like they could have gone in today. You know, it was just a ton of fun. I had a lot of fun out there despite maybe not having, again, my best stuff today like the last couple days, but he's a great competitor. We battled it out till the end. Q. The shot on 18, it looked like it maybe settled you down a little bit to hit a full shot and have it go exactly where you're looking. Is that an accurate description? ADAM HADWIN: Yeah, it was great to walk up in the fairway and have kind of a perfect number, at least what I thought was going to be a perfect number. Q. What was the number? ADAM HADWIN: 175 hole and what we thought was wind was a little in and a little off the left. So I figured I could go ahead and hit a nice, solid 7 a little left of the pin and might hold it a little bit and should be perfect. I don't know, maybe juiced up a little bit in the situation and flew pin-high off the back. To come down 18, I was in a very similar position in Career Builder; I was one back. This time going into 18, I was tied for the lead. I did look at Joe and I said, "We're in a better position than we were at Career Builder anyways. We were tied for the lead and not one back." He hit a great shot to answer that at that time. After wiping 3-wood on 16, I smoked it on 18. Just two really good quality golf shots when I needed it the most. You know, I had a bladed wedge there from the collar and that was no bargain, either, but trickled it close enough to where I couldn't miss it. Q. Can I ask you, I know you were born in Moose Jaw, are there any golf courses there? ADAM HADWIN: Honestly I'm not sure. I spent less than a year there. My dad was a pro at one of them, I know that. So there's at least one (laughter). But I'm not doing my fellow Moose Javians, as they are called, Moose Javians, any credit here. But I get asked that question a lot. Unfortunately I don't have all the answers. Q. If you would have been told at the start of 2017 that you would miss a World Golf Championship and probably have to change up your honeymoon plans, you would have thought, what? That doesn't sound like a good thing, but it actually is, isn't it? ADAM HADWIN: Yeah, you know, it's just one of those things that those events were so far off my radar at that point when we booked venues and all that. You know, I can tell you, I looked at it as, hey, we picked it the week of Puerto Rico; not we picked it the week of the WGC (laughter). You know, obviously getting off to a good start in October and playing well and having some good finishes in Career Builder, I mean, put it: I had a chance to get into events like that. Pretty important milestone coming up in our lives, pretty excited for that. I. Remember getting asked a question of why I didn't play Honda with a chance to get into México. I was 12th I think at the time on the FedEx. And I said, "I just played five weeks, I'd love two weeks off and there's going to be plenty of WGCs to come." I mean, I guess I'm skipping another one. I guess I'm skipping one two weeks from today, or this week. But I still feel like there's going to be plenty of WGCs to come, and just, you know, take care of the personal life. Q. What do you have to do in early August? ADAM HADWIN: What's that, Bridgestone and PGA? Q. Any conflicts? ADAM HADWIN: Not that I know of yet, unless she's planning manage that I don't know (laughs). Q. This is kind of early, I realize, having just won and everything, but what do you do about the honeymoon? ADAM HADWIN: I'm just hoping I get my deposit back (laughter). You laugh like I'm joking; I'm serious here. I understand I won a nice check this week, but I don't like to throw money away (laughter). Luckily we were kind of smart about it. We booked refundable airfare tickets, so I can get that back. But the hotel deposit, I might have to work with the Four Seasons on that. Q. Why did you book refundable? ADAM HADWIN: In case I made it to the Masters. Q. So you were thinking about it? ADAM HADWIN: Absolutely. There's always a chance, right. Q. Do you think you would have been able to respond the way you did on 16 and the next two holes if not for the attitude and mind-set adjustments you spoke about yesterday? ADAM HADWIN: I think in prior years it would have been a lot more difficult to get over. I'd feel like I kind of threw it away right then and there, and might have been a lot harder to bounce back from. I've learned a lot these last few years, I really have. I was talking to Joe, my caddie about it today when we were on the course and I was asking him, every time I go to a tournament that I've been to in the past, I feel like I'm a better player now than I was then. And if I can keep doing that year after year, I think I'll be doing okay. Q. You're a Phoenix guy, right? ADAM HADWIN: I am, yes. Q. How are you like a super Phoenix Suns fan or Arizona Diamondbacks? What do you do for fun there? ADAM HADWIN: My baseball team would be the Toronto Blue Jays. Hockey team would be the Canucks. I love hiking. I love the hiking around Phoenix. I like to get up the mountains. You know, I mean, as you guys know, same as you all, we don't spend a whole lot of time in Phoenix. So when we are there, just a ton of downtime, a ton of rest and a lot of Netflix series and we like to cook when we get back home. We don't have to eat out that often. That, and right now we're house hunting, as well. So I've got that on the plate, as well. Q. That will be early August. There are a lot of Canadians that do come to this neck of the woods. You have a lot of support out in the crowd today. Just talk about winning a tournament there with so many Canadians around. ADAM HADWIN: It's pretty incredible that I am part of a very special group on TOUR, being Canadian. You know, it's been a while since we've had such success on TOUR as a group. Nick came out and won in 12014, Matt won in the fall; Grant has had success; myself; David; Brad Fritsch is out on TOUR, as well, right now. To be part of such a group and the support that we get sort of Nationwide, everywhere that we go is pretty incredible. You know, I felt it the last few years of the Career Builder, and I said that they kind of pulled me through that entire round on Sunday. You know, again today, just a ton of Canadian flags all over the place. It's really a win for the country, not just myself. Q. On that subject, this week began with Mike Weir being named a captain's assistant for The Presidents Cup. Fitting now that you're sitting here with the trophy as the Valspar champion, any chance you'll be -- first off, what is your relationship to Mike, growing up Canadian, seeing him with success on TOUR, and any chance you'll be hitting him up for any advice headed to Augusta now? ADAM HADWIN: You know, I didn't know Mike until probably maybe 2010, 2011 Canadian Open, that time around, when I first started playing Canadian Opens. I can remember back to Torrey Pines one year where Saturday got basically fogged out and he was first group off, I was second group off. So I spent a bunch of time with him waiting out delays and chatting to him and everything. As Canadians, we grew up watching what he was doing there in 2002, 2003, his Masters victory and everything that came with it. You know, it's funny you ask that question, because I was thinking to myself last night, that if I was sitting here the champion at the end of today, that he might be one of the first texts or calls I make to say: You know, how did you get it done; what do I need to do in these next two weeks, three weeks, to get ready for Augusta. I hope he's okay with answering a bunch of questions, because I'll certainly take any advice I can get, especially from a former champion. Q. Give us some of your favorite Augusta memories. ADAM HADWIN: You know, Tiger '97, his first. Mike Weir, 2003. Was it '05 that Tiger chipped in on 16? I mean, ridiculous. You know, in your life, was that call. (Laughter) Q. Did you ever miss it? Was there ever a time you didn't watch? ADAM HADWIN: I mean, I can't say for certain that I've sat down Thursday through Sunday and watched every bit of action that's been on TV, but certainly coming down the stretch Saturday, Sunday. I think, you know, to play the game that we do, I don't think you can appreciate everything unless you're sitting down and watching that and getting a little giddy, honestly watching everybody play; you know, Phil's shot in the pine straw, the jump. I mean, he's wearing clothing with that jump now. That's ridiculous (laughter). Did you just get that? I was waiting for it. Q. The funny thing was just calling it a jump. It was like movement above gravity, is what it was. ADAM HADWIN: That's all right. This is pretty incredible, and it's going to be a lot of fun in three weeks. DOUG MILNE: Adam, congratulations. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|