Adam Hadwin qualifies for The Open, moves to verge of Olympics at the Memorial

Adam Hadwin had the start of dreams Sunday at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. He couldn’t quite keep it up, but he punched up his summer schedule in the process.

On a demanding Sunday at Muirfield Village (where just six players broke par), Hadwin stormed up the leaderboard with three birdies in his first seven holes, moving within one stroke of 54-hole leader Scottie Scheffler – the far-and-away world No. 1 who eventually clipped Collin Morikawa by one stroke for his fifth win in eight starts.

Hadwin slowed to a final-round 74 for a solo third at 4-under 284, four back of Scheffler, and although Muirfield Village got the best of him in the day’s latter portion – he closed with three consecutive bogeys – the implications are significant for the veteran Canadian.

One, Hadwin secures a spot at The Open Championship at Royal Troon (The Open Qualifying Series offered one spot at the Memorial to the highest finisher, not otherwise exempt). Two, he boosts his chances for representing Team Canada at this summer’s Olympic Men’s Golf Competition in Paris by jumping a projected 24 spots in the Official World Golf Ranking (from No. 59 to No. 35, per Nosferatu on X, into Canada’s second available spot with one week of qualification remaining).

Last time at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes represented Canada in men’s golf. At the 2016 Olympics (the first to feature golf since 1904), it was David Hearn and Graham DeLaet. Becoming an Olympian is one thing missing from Hadwin’s acclaimed resume in the game – and earlier this week, he admitted that he didn’t feel great about his chances of making his Olympics debut this summer. “Over the last month, I've probably played my way … not out of the conversation, but certainly out of a good position to be in,” Hadwin said on Thursday.

Hadwin, 36, reversed that trend at Muirfield Village with rounds of 66-72-72-74, hanging tough across one of the season’s sternest examinations.

Olympic golf qualification is determined via the Official World Golf Ranking, finalized after next week’s U.S. Open. Nick Taylor (world No. 30) has essentially cemented the first spot, with Corey Conners (No. 45), Hadwin (No. 59), Taylor Pendrith (No. 64) and Mackenzie Hughes (No. 65) in a spirited battle for the second spot.

(Up to four players from each country are eligible via the top 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking, with the remainder of the 60-player field selected with up to two players from each country via the OWGR).

All five Canadians in the top 65 will compete next week at Pinehurst No. 2, and Hadwin will surpass Conners after his third-place finish at the Memorial.

Hadwin’s spot is by no means secure – one of the trailing Canadians could leapfrog him with a big week at Pinehurst. But his spirited showing at Jack’s Place moved him into the driver’s seat for that second spot – with a start in the season’s final major locked up, as well.

“I take a lot of positives away from this week,” Hadwin said. “I can compete with some of the best players in the world on a very difficult golf course and that's what I'm going to have to do next week as well.

“I’m proud of the way I battled.”