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Palm Harbor, Fla. • Adam Hadwin is skipping his first World Golf Championship and asking for a refund for his honeymoon to Tahiti.
He couldn't be happier.
Seven weeks after he shot a 59, and two weeks before his wedding, Hadwin added another eventful chapter to his amazing year.
He threw away a two-shot lead with three holes to play by hitting a tee shot into the water, kept his wits and then closed with two strong pars for an even-par 71 to win the Valspar Championship by one shot over Patrick Cantlay for his first PGA Tour title Sunday.
"You're never quite sure when you're going to get the job done," Hadwin said. "I just went there today and stuck to what I do best, just hit some quality golf shots and really made the game super easy outside of hole No. 16. I feel a little fortunate after that hole to be sitting here, but I'll certainly take it, and I can't wait for everything that comes with this win."
The victory moves him to No. 51 in the world and makes him eligible for the Dell Match Play — except that he's getting married that week.
It also sends the 29-year-old Canadian to the Masters, meaning he will have to postpone that honeymoon to French Polynesia. Instead, he'll be preparing for Augusta National, the place he called the "greenest place on earth."
Even with a four-shot lead going into the final round, all he wanted was a chance over the final few holes.
The trick Sunday was reminding himself he was right where he wanted to be.
Hadwin twice holed big birdie putts on the back nine at Innisbrook as Cantlay was in close for birdies of his own, a 25-footer on the par-5 11th and then a 55-footer on the par-3 13th to keep a two-shot lead.
But it all changed on the 16th, the start of a tough three-hole finish at the Copperhead Course. His 3-wood peeled off to the right and never had a chance, and Hadwin walked off the hole with a double bogey and a tie for the lead.
From the 18th fairway, Cantlay blinked first.
The former No. 1 amateur in the world, playing for only the second time after missing two years with a back injury, leaked his approach into a bunker. Hadwin's approach went just over the back against the collar of the fringe, leaving him a belly wedge down the grain that came off perfectly and settled 2 feet below the cup.
Cantlay's bunker shot was well short, and he missed the 15-foot par putt to force a playoff.
Hadwin is the third Canadian to qualify for the Masters, joining RSM Classic winner Mackenzie Hughes and 2003 champion Mike Weir.
He finished at 14-under 270.
Jim Herman (68) and PGA Tour rookie Dominic Bozzelli (67) tied for third, two strokes behind Hadwin.
Salt Lake City's Tony Finau closed with a 64 to finish alone in fifth, though that likely will narrowly keep him out of the Dell Match Play in two weeks. Finau only moves to No. 70 in the world, and as many as five players are likely to withdraw.
Jason Dufner birdied his last two holes for a 67 to tie for 11th and qualify for Match Play.
Hadwin's fiancee, Jessica Kippenberger, made the wedding date for March 24 because that's when the venue was available. Hadwin checked the schedule and figured it worked out beautifully.
"I looked at it as, 'Hey, we picked the week of Puerto Rico,' not we picked it the week of the WGC," he said with a laugh.
The honeymoon deposit was only for the hotel. He booked refundable airline tickets with the Masters in mind.
Hero Indian Open
In New Delhi, India's S.S.P. Chawrasia successfully defended his Indian Open title, playing 25 holes Sunday in 4 under for a seven-stroke victory.
Chawrasia completed the third round with a 4-under 68 in the morning and added a 71 to finish at 10-under 278 in the European Tour event. Malaysia's Gavin Green was second after a 75. —
Sunday's scores
PGA Valspar Championship
At Innisbrook Golf Resort (Copperhead Course)
Palm Harbor, Fla.
Purse: $6.3 million
Yardage: 7,340; Par: 71
Final
Brendon Todd, $283,200 73-66-63-67—269 -15 Adam Hadwin (500), $1,134,000 68-64-67-71 — 270 -14
Patrick Cantlay (300), $680,400 71-66-66-68 — 271 -13
Dominic Bozzelli (163), $365,400 67-68-70-67 — 272 -12
Jim Herman (163), $365,400 62-71-71-68 — 272 -12
Tony Finau (110), $252,000 67-72-70-64 — 273 -11
Charl Schwartzel (100), $226,800 70-70-67-68 — 275 -9
Wesley Bryan (88), $203,175 68-68-72-68 — 276 -8
Henrik Stenson (88), $203,175 64-71-71-70 — 276 -8
Russell Henley (78), $176,400 64-71-75-67 — 277 -7
John Huh (78), $176,400 69-70-69-69 — 277 -7
Chad Campbell (65), $144,900 71-69-69-69 — 278 -6
Jason Dufner (65), $144,900 68-71-72-67 — 278 -6
Keith Mitchell, $144,900 69-70-71-68 — 278 -6
Alex Cejka (54), $110,250 68-70-72-69 — 279 -5
Graeme McDowell (54), $110,250 75-67-70-67 — 279 -5
J.T. Poston (54), $110,250 69-70-69-71 — 279 -5
Nick Watney (54), $110,250 70-69-70-70 — 279 -5
Lucas Glover (46), $85,050 68-70-69-73 — 280 -4
David Hearn (46), $85,050 68-74-68-70 — 280 -4
Ryan Moore (46), $85,050 69-72-68-71 — 280 -4
Kevin Streelman (46), $85,050 71-68-71-70 — 280 -4
Jonas Blixt (37), $60,480 69-71-72-69 — 281 -3
Graham DeLaet (37), $60,480 71-71-72-67 — 281 -3
J.J. Henry (37), $60,480 72-67-67-75 — 281 -3
Matt Kuchar (37), $60,480 69-69-73-70 — 281 -3
Danny Lee (37), $60,480 72-69-70-70 — 281 -3
David Lingmerth (25), $39,346 70-72-72-68 — 282 -2
Luke List (25), $39,346 68-69-75-70 — 282 -2
Jamie Lovemark (25), $39,346 69-69-74-70 — 282 -2
Chez Reavie (25), $39,346 72-68-73-69 — 282 -2
Stewart Cink (25), $39,346 69-71-71-71 — 282 -2
B. DeChambeau (25), $39,346 67-70-72-73 — 282 -2
Harris English (25), $39,346 77-65-69-71 — 282 -2
Soren Kjeldsen (25), $39,346 68-70-73-71 — 282 -2
Seamus Power (25), $39,346 66-74-72-70 — 282 -2
Kyle Stanley (25), $39,346 69-71-71-71 — 282 -2
T. Van Aswegen (25), $39,346 69-65-75-73 — 282 -2
Patrick Reed (17), $28,350 70-72-72-69 — 283 -1
Brian Stuard (17), $28,350 70-72-70-71 — 283 -1
Hudson Swafford (17), $28,350 68-69-73-73 — 283 -1
Blayne Barber (12), $21,452 70-67-74-73 — 284 E
Ryan Blaum (12), $21,452 68-73-75-68 — 284 E
Jim Furyk (12), $21,452 69-73-70-72 — 284 E
Bill Haas (12), $21,452 70-72-73-69 — 284 E
James Hahn (12), $21,452 65-72-77-70 — 284 E
Rod Pampling (12), $21,452 70-69-76-69 — 284 E
Ian Poulter (12), $21,452 72-67-76-69 — 284 E
Webb Simpson (12), $21,452 67-75-70-72 — 284 E
Byeong Hun An (9), $15,918 69-72-71-73 — 285 +1
Charles Howell III (9), $15,918 67-71-73-74 — 285 +1
Cameron Smith (9), $15,918 74-67-72-72 — 285 +1
Robert Garrigus (7), $14,774 71-70-75-70 — 286 +2
Morgan Hoffmann (7), $14,774 69-72-70-75 — 286 +2
Michael Kim (7), $14,774 70-71-75-70 — 286 +2
Ben Martin (7), $14,774 75-67-68-76 — 286 +2
Hunter Mahan (6), $14,301 71-68-73-75 — 287 +3
Tim Wilkinson (6), $14,301 70-72-71-74 — 287 +3
Keegan Bradley (5), $13,923 67-73-75-73 — 288 +4
Bud Cauley (5), $13,923 70-72-76-70 — 288 +4
Jason Kokrak (5), $13,923 68-71-74-75 — 288 +4
Gary Woodland (5), $13,923 71-70-76-71 — 288 +4
Ben Crane (4), $13,482 74-66-76-73 — 289 +5
Charlie Danielson, $13,482 71-71-73-74 — 289 +5
Nick Taylor (4), $13,482 72-70-73-74 — 289 +5
Kelly Kraft (4), $13,167 72-70-74-74 — 290 +6
Lee McCoy, $13,167 72-68-74-76 — 290 +6
Kyle Reifers (4), $12,978 69-72-75-75 — 291 +7
Scott Stallings (3), $12,852 72-70-78-72 — 292 +8
Ryo Ishikawa (3), $12,726 69-73-73-81 — 296 +12
Hero Indian Open
At DLF Golf and Country Club, New Delhi
Purse: $1.75 million
Yardage: 7,004; Par: 72
Partial Third Round
SSP Chawrasia, India 72-67-68-71 — 278 -10
Gavin Green, Malaysia 72-73-65-75 — 287 -9
Scott Jamieson, Scotland 70-74-70-72 — 286 -2
Matteo Manassero, Italy 68-73-72-73 — 286 -1
Rafa Cabrera Bello, Spain 73-73-70-71 — 287 -1
Anirban Lahiri, India 76-73-67-71 — 287 -1
Carlos Pigem, Spain 69-73-67-78 — 287 -1
George Coetzee, South Africa 73-74-69-72 — 288 -E
Michael Hoey, England 71-71-71-75 — 288 -E
David Horsey, England 66-74-76-72 — 288 -E
Also
Peter Uihlen, United States 72-75-68-76 — 291 +3
Daniel Im, United States 74-72-79-72 — 297 +9
Paul Peterson, United States 70-72-81-78 — 301 +13