Hudson Swafford entered the winner’s circle on the US PGA Tour, Tommy Fleetwood snapped a winless drought and a near-50-year-old trumped Adam Scott in Singapore during an eventful weekend globally.

Swafford (pictured above) carried the 36-hole lead of the three-course CareerBuilder Challenge in California, only to see his advantage evaporate when Canadian Adam Hadwin returned the second round of 59 on the circuit in as many weeks. Hadwin’s epic 13-birdie charge at La Quinta Country Club took him from 10 strokes off the lead to a one-stroke edge beginning the final round.

Yet Swafford, who played alongside Justin Thomas – he of the other 59 in 2017 – one week earlier in Hawaii, birdied three of his last four holes on the Stadium Course at PGA West to reach 20-under and beat Hadwin (who followed his 59 with a 70) by a shot. Swafford became the eighth player in the tournament’s 58-year history to make the CareerBuilder Challenge – for so long known as the Bob Hope Classic – his debut US Tour victory.

“They don’t give them away out here. It’s not easy,” said 29-year-old Swafford, who almost aced the island par-3 17th hole, nicknamed “Alcatraz”. “I’ve been close. I’ve been in the heat lately. Just keep putting myself in position, and this just feels unbelievable.”

Despite joining the record books, Hadwin left Palm Springs feeling empty.

“I can’t help but be slightly disappointed,” he said. “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.”

The diminutive duo of Brian Harman and Bud Cauley both closed with 69s to share third place at 18-under. The leading Australian was Geoff Ogilvy in equal 25th.

In a different desert half a world away, Tommy Fleetwood (above) vanquished a strong field to claim the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The Englishman edged Dustin Johnson and Pablo Larrazabal by a shot to win for the first time since 2013.

Beginning the final round a shot behind overnight leader Tyrrell Hatton, Fleetwood – who turned 26 on the first day of the tournament – overcame a lacklustre front nine to shoot an inward 31. His spark came via a pitch-in for eagle on the par-5 10th hole at Abu Dhabi Golf Club that gave him the momentum to card three further birdies.

“I thought maybe the second win would come sooner to be honest,” Fleetwood said. “It’s been a massive comeback.

“I made it up to Finn (friend Ian Finnis), who has been caddieing for me, one of my best mates. We made the switch and not a lot of people thought it would work and we proved them all wrong. It feels great.

“I had a really hard time from July 2015 to July last year when I really struggled with my game. It’s been an awkward curve. The only thing left was ‘Let’s get a win,’ but you keep knocking on the door and it will come. I didn’t really think it would be this week. It just shows a lot can happen in golf.

“I just thought, ‘Keep going. You never know. It’s a tough day, really. The pins are tucked away and it’s very windy, especially at the start.’ The chip-in on 10, birdie on 11 changed everything. All of a sudden from nowhere and I was leading.”

Adam Scott had a golden opportunity to make it four career Singapore Open victories when he made a rare visit to the Asian Tour, yet a one-birdie 74 on Sunday relegated the Queenslander to a share of ninth. Scott finished three strokes behind Prayad Marksaeng, who posted a closing 67 to finish nine-under then waited in the clubhouse as no one could better his total. The Thai veteran claimed his 20th professional title just a week shy of his 50th birthday.

The tournament was part of the British Open qualifying series and awarded starts at Royal Birkdale this July to Marksaeng, compatriot Phachara Khongwatmai, South Korean Younghan Song, and South Africa’s Jbe Kruger.

 

MORE:

Inside Swafford’s bag: http://australiangolfdigest.com.au/winners-bag-hudson-swafford-careerbuilder-challenge/

British Open qualifiers: http://www.theopen.com/News/News/2017/01/Four-qualify-for-The-Open-in-Singapore