LA QUINTA, Calif. -- The temperature barely climbed into the 60s on a spectacular, clear afternoon in the desert after two rainy days. Adam Hadwin stopped counting at 59 -- as in shooting a 13-under 59, that is.
The 29-year-old Canadian shot the ninth sub-60 round in PGA Tour history and the second in 10 days to take the third-round lead Saturday in the CareerBuilder Challenge.
"I think everybody talks about kind of they were in a zone and I think that's kind of what happened," Hadwin said. "I was thinking about it. I knew exactly where I was. I knew exactly what I needed to do. It just didn't seem to matter."
Hadwin made a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th and got up-and-down for par -- making a 3-footer -- from just off the green on the par-4 18th at La Quinta Country Club.
"Last thing I wanted to do was miss a 3-footer for 59," Hadwin said. "So, I was more relieved than anything walking off that green."
Justin Thomas had an 11-under 59 last week in Hawaii in the first round of his Sony Open victory. Hadwin matched David Duval's tournament record, a 13-under 59 on the Arnold Palmer Private Course in the final round of his 1999 victory. Jim Furyk shot a tour-record 12-under 58 last year in the Travelers Championship.
Hadwin was at 17-under 199 after starting the day tied for 49th at 4 under, a stroke below the eventual cut. He played the first two days at PGA West, shooting 71 on the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course and 69 on the Stadium Course -- the site of the final round today.
On Saturday, Hadwin had 13 birdies in the bogey-free round, hit 12 of 14 fairways, 15 of 18 greens in regulation, and needed only 21 putts. He opened with a par with the temperature in the low-50s and snow sparkling on the mountain peaks, birdied the next six and added another on No. 9 for a front-nine 29. He birdied Nos. 11-15 to get to 12 under.
Hadwin credited playing partner Colt Knost for keeping him relaxed.
"He's a character and so everything was very light," Hadwin said.
Rookie Dominic Bozzelli was a stroke back after a 69 on the Nicklaus layout.
Second-round leader Hudson Swafford was 15 under with Bud Cauley, Brian Harman and Chad Campbell.
Phil Mickelson closed with a watery double bogey for a 73 on the Stadium Course, leaving him eight strokes back in his return from two sports hernia surgeries.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Tournament halted
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii -- Bernhard Langer was declared the winner of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship after strong winds blowing across the Hualalai golf course halted the tournament Saturday.
"I know a lot of people are disappointed, but I'm not," Langer said.
It was Langer's 30th victory on the Champions Tour, moving him into second place on the career list behind Hale Irwin, who has 45 victories on the circuit. Langer became the first person to win this event three times while celebrating his 33rd wedding anniversary with wife Vikki on Saturday.
Sustained winds of 15-25 mph with gusts up to 45 had golf balls rolling off the greens in the tour's first event of 2017. Only five golfers in the field of 47 finished their rounds, and the scoring average soared to 79.027.
Play was suspended at 1:20 p.m. local time with Langer and Fred Couples on the first green. Twenty minutes later, the players were called off the course, and the rest of the tournament was called off at 2:10 p.m.
Tom Watson was 11 over for his round through the 16th hole. The only golfers below par for the day were Paul Goydos at 3 under through 13, Doug Garwood at 1 under through six, Gene Sauers 1 under through 3 and Lee Jansen 1 under after 2.
Langer began the day with a one-shot lead over Couples, who bogeyed the last hole on Friday to fall one back, and two shots over Kirk Triplett. Four other golfers were three shots behind when the round began. Forecasts called for gusts up to 55 mph later in the afternoon.
It is supposed to be windy and rainy today. The last time play was suspended on the Champions Tour for wind was at the 2010 Ace Group Classic in Naples, Fla. The first round in that event was postponed.
John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks) finished with a two-round score of 6-under 138 and was tied for 23rd, good enough for $20,000.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Hatton in lead
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Dustin Johnson is finally a real factor at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The U.S. Open champion shot an 8-under-par 64 in the third round Saturday to catapult into title contention in his first event of 2017.
Johnson started the day eight shots off the lead and finished it in a five-way tie for second at 12-under par, one stroke behind new leader Tyrrell Hatton.
Johnson is showing a steady improvement on the 7,583-yard, American-style National Course, which was always going to suit one of the biggest hitters in the sport. He opened with an even-par 72, made the cut by shooting a 68 and then -- refreshed after his best sleep of the week -- powered through the field by making six birdies and chipping in for eagle from the back of the eighth green.
Martin Kaymer, seeking a fourth victory in Abu Dhabi, started the third round with a one-shot lead over Rafa Cabrera Bello, but they were two of the 14 players who failed to break par on a low-scoring day. Kaymer shot a 72 and Cabrera Bello had a 74.
Hatton, a rising star from England, broke free from a five-way share of first place late in the day by rolling in an 8-foot putt for a birdie on the 18th and a 68.
Sixteen players are within three shots of the lead.
Sports on 01/22/2017