Valspar Championship Winner Adam Hadwin Keeps Getting Better
Hadwin joins ‘ShackHouse’ to discuss his first PGA Tour win
On Monday’s episode of the ShackHouse podcast, Geoff Shackelford and Joe House spoke with Adam Hadwin, the winner of last weekend’s Valspar Championship. Hadwin discussed preparations for the Masters, his upcoming wedding, and his first PGA Tour tournament win. Listen to the full podcast here. This transcript has been edited and condensed.
The Importance of Course Familiarity
Geoff Shackelford: You made a comment in your post-round press conference [after winning the Valspar Championship]. You said you were talking to your caddy about … how you’ve been going to these tournaments on the tour and feeling like you are a better player a year later when you [return] to those places. I was just curious about that: One, when [did] that conversation [take] place — was that during the final round? And then, what exactly do you mean? Is that just knowing the courses better, or do you see how your game has improved playing tough golf courses like Innisbrook?
Adam Hadwin: Yeah, it was during the final round. Honestly, I can’t remember exactly what hole it was. … I was talking with my caddie, Joe [Cruz]. I had felt the entire year … that every time I revisit[ed] a golf course, I felt like my golf game was in a better place. I felt like mentally I was in a better place. He mentioned what you said — being comfortable with the golf course is a little bit more [important]. I’ve played most of them two times already. Being familiar [with] the surroundings and all that probably play a large part in what I said as well. I just feel like I’ve continued to improve each and every year. That’s been the key for me. I’ve just been on this upward trend for a while now. It culminated in a win this past weekend, but hopefully, [I can] just continue that trend upwards and continue [playing] good golf.