THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO -- Gerry Hadwin couldn't stand it any more.

His son, Adam Hadwin, has been the talk of the town in Abbotsford, B.C., after making the cut at his first RBC Canadian Open. The elder Hadwin, an associate pro at the Morgan Creek Golf Course in nearby Surrey, had a hard time concentrating on his weekend work duties. He was too busy refreshing his computer as he followed his son's third round online.

Finally on Saturday afternoon he decided he just had to be at St. George's Golf and Country Club to watch in person, so he booked a red-eye flight to Toronto and made it to the course in plenty of time to watch his son's final round.

Adam Hadwin didn't disappoint, tapping in for birdie to finish with a 71 and the low Canadian score at 5-under-par 275 and tied for 37th.

The cross-country trip was well worth it.

"Absolutely," the elder Hadwin said Sunday. "Especially to watch that finish. That was huge."

His son capped the round in style by nearly jarring his approach shot from 182 yards out. The crowd roared its approval as Hadwin walked up the fairway at what was easily the biggest event of his first pro season.

"I didn't know what to think, it was an amazing feeling," Hadwin said. "The fans have kind of taken me in as the Canadian favourite this week and I can't thank them enough for that."

Hadwin was nine shots behind Carl Petterson, who closed with a 67 for a one-shot victory at 14-under-par 266.

Two other Canadians made the cut for weekend play. Jon Mills of Oshawa, Ont., bogeyed his last two holes for a 72 and 4-under-par 276 overall. Calgary's Stephen Ames finished with a 70 for a 278.

Mills said he got a big boost from the fans.

"It seemed like every tee deck or every green you got to, they were cheering for you," Mills said. "Obviously that makes it very special for me."

Hadwin, who received the Rivermead Cup for the best score by a Canadian, said he was pleased that he closed out a mediocre round with a strong finish.

"A 71 always feels better birdieing the last (hole) then bogeying the last," he said. "It's the same score but for some reason, birdieing the last, you feel a sense of accomplishment, you stuck in the round and were able to fight it out.

"I've got the biggest smile on my face, I'm sure you guys can tell and it's going to stay the rest of the week."

Not bad for a 22-year-old rookie who earned a spot in the tournament based on his standing on the Canadian Tour's Order of Merit.

"I just wanted to come in and play well and represent Canada and show that the Canadian Tour really does deserve these exemptions and show them that we can play at this higher stage," Hadwin said. "It was fantastic, a great week."

He added that the experience has given a big boost to his motivation.

"It kind of throws you the celebrity status out here for a week and I think it makes you hungrier to get back out here," he said of competing at the top level. "I have a lot of friends on the Canadian Tour, I have a great time out there, it'll be nice to back with them for the upcoming weeks but it's definitely a lot of motivation to get out here and be treated like these guys do."