Canadian Adam Hadwin withstood a back-nine charge from Patrick Cantlay on Sunday to win the Valspar Championship, the first PGA Tour victory of his career.

Hadwin, who began the final round on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla., with a four-stroke lead, won with tap-in par putt on 18 moments after Cantlay missed an 16-foot par putt.

Cantlay began his rally with a birdie on the ninth hole, the first of three in a row and five in a six-hole stretch. He still trailed by two when Hadwin hit his tee shot on the 16th hole into a water hazard, leading to a double bogey that dropped him into a tie with Cantlay.

At 18, Cantlay was unable to get up-and-down from a greenside bunker for par, leaving Hadwin only a one-footer for victory.

“I don’t know what to say right now,” Hadwin said. “I fully expected Patrick to make that [par] putt. I said yesterday I just wanted a chance to win coming up the last and I had that chance. I thought we were going to have make birdies to win it.”

Hadwin, who posted a 59 in the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge and finished second in January, shot an even-par 71 for a 72-hole total of 270, while Cantlay had a three-under par 68 to finish one back.

By finishing solo second, Cantlay earned $658,800 and retained his PGA Tour membership. He was playing on a major medical extension dating to the 2013 season and needed to earn $US624,746 in 10 starts.


Hendry ends Kiwi drought at New Zealand Open

Meanwhile, New Zealander Michael Hendry became the first Kiwi to claim the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open title since 2003 after a three-way playoff at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown.

Birdies by fellow Kiwi Ben Campbell and 2011 champion Brad Kennedy from Australia on the par-5 17th hole enabled the pair to finish tied with Hendry on 19-under 266 at the end of regulation play.

Hendry hit his tee shot on the par-3 18th to within five metres of the pin on the first playoff hole, and knew the dream was his after both Kennedy and Campbell put their shots into the water that surrounds the green.

While the previous three rounds were played in idyllic conditions at The Hills and Millbrook Resort, today was cool and windy with morning rain that made for a challenging day.

Hendry produced a remarkable effort, hitting 17 greens in regulation on the way to an outstanding 2-under 69.

He edged into the lead on the 10th hole and was never headed, although required the playoff to become the 98th winner of the Brodie Breeze Trophy and the first New Zealander since Mahal Pearce in 2003.

“This is the one I wanted the most of any trophy and I’ve got it now,” Hendry said.

“I think for most of the Kiwis in the field – if it’s not one of the four (Majors), it’s this one. To have the New Zealand Open trophy and have my name on the NZ PGA trophy as well, it’s pretty sweet.”

“Once it had been decided that there was going to be a playoff I felt pretty comfortable. 72 holes are over and I was thinking to myself, just a few more shots.

“I was dead-keen to win the trophy hands down and obviously the New Zealand golfing public and golf fans around New Zealand are going to be pretty chuffed that a Kiwi has finally won it and I’m going to be chuffed that that Kiwi happened to be me.”