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The Desert Classic: Power ranking the top 10 golfers at PGA West

By Mike Randleman

LA QUINTA, CA - JANUARY 21: The group of Andrew Landry, Austin Cook and Martin Piller walk up the fairway during the final round of the CareerBuilder Challenge at the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West on January 21, 2018 in La Quinta, California. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
LA QUINTA, CA - JANUARY 21: The group of Andrew Landry, Austin Cook and Martin Piller walk up the fairway during the final round of the CareerBuilder Challenge at the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West on January 21, 2018 in La Quinta, California. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /
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LA QUINTA, CA – JANUARY 21: Adam Hadwin of Canada poses with his ball after shooting a 59 during the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge in Partnership with The Clinton Foundation at La Quinta Country Club on January 21, 2017 in La Quinta, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
LA QUINTA, CA – JANUARY 21: Adam Hadwin of Canada poses with his ball after shooting a 59 during the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge in Partnership with The Clinton Foundation at La Quinta Country Club on January 21, 2017 in La Quinta, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) /

Adam Hadwin is knocking on the door to a win a Desert Classic title. The Canadian has made the cut in all four starts here going back to 2015 in which he’s finished T48-T6-T2-T3. He finished one shot off the lead despite a 59 at La Quinta in 2017 and was two off the pace last year. He’s a combined 39-under in the last two years with no trophy. Golf’s tough sometimes.

Big checks are still good consolation prizes.

“I really enjoy playing in Palm Springs with all the Canadians,” Hadwin said in 2017, alluding to a contingent of Canadian players who reside in the area. “Like a second home down here.”

Hadwin is among a group of players hopping over from Hawaii to the desert. He finished T57 in his 2019 opener at the Sony.

Perhaps now that the rust is beginning to fall off he can get back to his late 2018 form. The 31-year-old closed 2018 with six top-30s in his final seven starts. He had five top-10s in 2018 and missed only four cuts.

Hadwin has gotten on some good putting streaks at the Desert Classic and will hope to get his flat stick back to prior levels. Hadwin was top-20 on Tour in strokes gained putting in 2015-16 and 2016-17 before dipping to 88th in 2017-18.

He was also 25th in Strokes Gained around the green and was a positive in all main Strokes Gained categories.

By Sunday, Hadwin may finally get to say this is a tournament he had won.

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