Adam Hadwin has first-round lead at the U.S. Open and is thinking of ‘bigger things’

BROOKLINE, Mass.—Adam Hadwin’s wife Jessica works at a hospital in Wichita, Kan. She took to Twitter Thursday night, as she often does with funny quips, and acknowledged that they both had gone to work that day. “But it appears,” she wrote, “it was a bit more glamorous for one of us.”

That’s because her husband holds the first-round lead at the U.S. Open. Hadwin shot a 4-under 66 Thursday at The Country Club and leads five golfers by one shot, including Canadian Open winner Rory McIlroy.

“Pretty sweet,” Hadwin said, after becoming the first Canadian to hold the first-round lead at the U.S. Open since Mike Weir in 2009.

Hadwin made a bogey on the par-4 third hole but rattled off five birdies in a six-hole stretch before making the turn. That, he said, was the key to his day. Despite another bogey on No. 12, he got it right back with a snaking birdie from off the green on the 13th hole.

“Not much better of a start to a U.S. Open I don’t think that you can ask for,” Hadwin said. “I did a lot of good things. Got on a nice run there midway through the front.

“Then I kind of just held down the fort there the last little bit. Some key up-and-downs. Made a nice one from the fringe on 13. Just doing a lot of good things.”

Hadwin’s round nearly ended in disaster when his tee shot on 18 landed on a sprinkler head and launched 30 yards past his intended number. But he knocked a wedge to 17 feet and two-putted for an easy par.

The Abbotsford, B.C., native said he had been on a yearlong journey with some changes to his golf swing, but the changes proved to be beneficial in windy afternoon conditions. He’s now got a “completely different” release pattern, which finally took hold at the beginning of 2022.

He notched three top-10 finishes in a row in March and early April and has four on the season.

Hadwin’s major results to this point in his career, however, have left a little to be desired. His best is a tie for 24th, which came at the Masters in 2018. He said his approach to the majors hasn’t changed; he just executed everything well Thursday.

“I treated it like every other tournament. I got a wedge from 100 yards. I’m going to be aggressive. That was probably the biggest key to my success today,” he said. “Sixty-six at a U.S. Open to take the first-round lead is incredible. It’s amazing. It’s something … nobody can ever take away from me at this point, but I have bigger things in my mind.”

Hadwin was the only Canadian under par after the first round.

Corey Conners bogeyed his final hole of the day to shoot a 1-over 71. Mackenzie Hughes and Ben Silverman were a shot further back, while Nick Taylor was 3 over and Roger Sloan 6 over.

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