‘Learned my lesson’: Why this pro thought twice about celebrating at the WM Phoenix Open
There are about a half dozen Canadian pros on the PGA Tour, and they are a tight-knit bunch. That much was evident at last summer’s RBC Canadian Open, when Nick Taylor became the first Canadian to win their country’s national open since 1954.
Taylor drained a 72-footer for eagle on the fourth playoff hole at Oakdale Golf and Country Club to beat Tommy Fleetwood and win last June, and when the unlikely winning putt dropped the celebration was on. Some Canadian pros were among those who stormed the green, but one — Adam Hadwin, wearing jeans, a hoodie and black hat — wasn’t dressed in his typical golf gear and apparently blended in well with the spectators. A security guard must have thought so too, as he tackled Hadwin to the ground.
i just cannot stop watching this hit. 5-foot-8, 160-lb Adam Hadwin comes to congratulate his buddy and gets bundled into next week. breathtaking. completely unnecessary. perfect sports moment pic.twitter.com/TOFYUKUjSH
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) June 12, 2023
What happens when you chirp @jessicahadwin on Twitter…
(Sorry @ahadwingolf) pic.twitter.com/1Vs6YqM70Q
— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 12, 2023
Hadwin has been a good sport about the incident, and it was even motivation for his family’s Halloween costumes.
“They just tackled Adam Hadwin, by the way, who is trying to approach his friend” Jim Nantz, June 11th, 2023
Happy Halloween Friends 🎃 pic.twitter.com/MhTDwbmps3
— Jessica Hadwin (@jessicahadwin) November 1, 2023
He’s also apparently learned from it, too. Fast forward to Sunday at the WM Phoenix Open, and Taylor was closing in on his fourth career PGA Tour victory. He shot a final-round 65 and then went birdie-birdie in a playoff to beat Charley Hoffman.
Hadwin was spotted near the green waiting to see if Taylor could close it out (in an outfit similar to what he wore at the RBC Canadian Open), but he didn’t rush the green with Champagne like he did last summer.
“No, not this time,” Hadwin said. “I learned my lesson.”
Lesson learned. https://t.co/ZSEp8GAhnt pic.twitter.com/Ax6YPkQnYa
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 12, 2024
“It was reminiscent of the Canadian Open a little bit,” Taylor said afterward. “A lot of snowbirds down here, a lot of people come down to this tournament that I know, even on the West Coast and all over Canada. The support was incredible. It was pretty fun to be around, so it was fun all week.”
As for Hadwin?
“He dodged security this time,” Taylor said, “so it’s good.”
Article originally appeared on: Golf.com