A day after making a mess of the 16th and 17th holes on PGA West’s Stadium Course, Hudson Swafford birdied them Sunday to take control in the fittingly named CareerBuilder Challenge.
A few minutes later, with rain approaching the desert over the snow-capped mountains, the 29-year-old former Georgia player celebrated his breakthrough first PGA Tour title and first Masters spot.
« They don’t give them away out here. It’s not easy, » Swafford said. « I’ve been close. I’ve been in the heat lately. Just keep putting myself in position, and this just feels unbelievable. »
He tapped in for par on 18 for a 5-under 67 and a one-stroke victory over Adam Hadwin, the Canadian who had trouble scoring after a third-round 59 at La Quinta Country Club.
« I can’t help but be slightly disappointed, » Hadwin said after a 70. « I really wanted to come out here and kind of prove that yesterday was just kind of a continuation of some good play and kind of get it done today, but I got beat. I felt like I did all the right things. Just a couple shots here and there and who knows what could have happened. But an incredible week, my best finish ever. »
Swafford tied Bud Cauley for the lead with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-4 15th, and pulled ahead with the birdies on 16 and 17 — a day after dropping three strokes on the daunting duo.
« Stepped up there and hit some really good shots on those two holes, knowing what happened yesterday, » Swafford said. « I was just really confident on those two holes today. I knew the bad stuff on those holes were gone. I had already seen it, it had already happened, and just visualizing really good shots. »
On the par-5 16th, he hit a 4-iron 230 yards to 12 feet — staying out of the 18-foot deep bunker he hit into Saturday en route to a double bogey — and two-putted to take the outright lead.
« Just trying to maybe chase it up on the front edge, and it was probably my best swing of the day, » Swafford said. « It was just right out of the middle, flew on the green. I thought it was actually even going to get closer than it did. But after what happened yesterday, I was really satisfied with that. »
He hit to 1 1/2 feet on the par-3 17th, a day after barely clearing the giant rocks that ring the island green called Alcatraz. « It was just choke up and swing an 8-iron and it ended up being perfect, » he said.
Hadwin also birdied 16 and 17, making a 25-footer on 17 after Swafford tapped in.
Swafford found the fairway with a 3-wood on the par-4 18th with water along the left side, then avoided the water again with an approach to the right side of the green. He lagged his 20-footer to 2 inches.
Hadwin’s final drive settled in the dormant Bermuda an inch from the green rye rough and his approach stayed right and settled into a bad lie in the thick dormant rough. He saved par to finish second alone.
« I would have loved to have put a little bit more pressure on Hud coming up the 18th, » Hadwin said, « but just to be able to get up-and-down from the lie that I had from over there was pretty impressive. »
Swafford finished the pro-am event at 20-under 268 and earned $1,044,000. He opened with a 65 at La Quinta, shot another 65 on PGA West’s Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course to take the second-round lead, and fell two strokes behind Hadwin with a 71 on Saturday at the Stadium layout.
Swafford got off to a rough start in the final round in the chilly morning, three-putting for bogey on the par-4 first, and was five strokes behind leader Chad Campbell after five holes.
The winner rallied with birdies on Nos. 7-9 to join Campbell and Hadwin atop the leaderboard. On the par-5 eighth, Swafford cut a 5-wood into the middle of the green and lipped out for eagle.
« The game just felt comfortable from there on, » Swafford said. « I just felt like I could hit any shot where I wanted to and just felt in total control. »
Cauley and Brian Harman each shot 69 to tie for third at 18 under.
Campbell holed out from 108 yards for eagle on the par-5 fifth, then made a triple bogey on the par-3 sixth — hitting into the water and three-putting. He finished with a 71 to tie for sixth at 16 under.
Phil Mickelson shot a 70 to tie for a 21st at 11 under in the 46-year-old Hall of Famer’s return from two sports hernia surgeries.
« I think this was a good start for me for the year, » Mickelson said. « The only way to find out where your game is at is to play in competition. … I’m much further along than I thought I would be. «
