Hadwin needs to toughen up

I say, Adam, we're all making adjustments, to not only golf, our jobs as well. Why can't he?

"Adam Hadwin says he’ll rethink playing if players are forced to putt with flagstick in"

Hadwin said. “If you force us to play with the flag in it changes everything. It messes me up on the greens and I can promise you I’m thinking about it. Doesn’t matter how well I’m hitting it; when I get on the greens I’ll be thinking about it, how I’m putting with the flag in and I haven’t been able to adjust to it and I shouldn’t have to adjust to it. Maybe I’ll protest, maybe I wouldn’t. If that’s the only possible way for us to play again, I don’t know, maybe. Maybe I’ll play and moan about it every day that I play and just go do it. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.”

The whole interview is here https://www.golf.com/news/2020/04/29/adam-hadwin-rethink-playing-forced-putt-flagstick/

your response is a great example of why we rarely get real responses from players. He said he doesn’t like it and doesn’t putt as well with the flag in. He’s not required to do that by the rules of golf and doesn’t like being forced to. BUT he would adapt if he has to. Your reaction is absolutely ridiculous.

If the rules of golf or local rules are changed/created in response to the virus it would be bizarre circumstances so I can understand the confusion for someone whose profession is tournament golf.

Hadwin said. “I putt with the flag out, so if we all of a sudden are going to be forced to putt with it in to not touch a flag, I’m going to have issues with that, and that might make me honestly rethink playing, because it changes everything.”

Unfortunately for Hadwin, he will have to adapt to it regardless if he like it or not. Its no different that the way defences have had to adapt and change their ways in football. Rules change and evolve over time and as a professional athlete you must adapt too.

To me it would be strange to not allow players to touch the flag because everyone still puts their hand in the cup to grab their ball with the flag in. Are they going to have someone disinfect the cup and flag near the cup every time a player grabs the ball from the cup or require players to grab their ball from the cup using those putter grip suction cups or grabbing reaching tools?

Agreed but usually there is significant forewarning of a rules change (eg. belly putter scenario) and I get the sense it would be the sudden change thats part of the problem here.

Reminds me of a biological, business and relationship philosophy. Adapt, migrate or die.

There isn't a single one of us that hasnt had to radically change the way we do are jobs in such a short period of time. Which is my point.

I like what @oikos1 referenced; adapt, migrate or die.

And that is the bottom line. If he doesn't like the local rule, he can simply not play. It's no different than players skipping a tournament for a multitude of other reasons (weather, location, course style, etc), they are independent contractors and can do as they wish. All of the guys trying to Monday qualify won't mind if he chooses not to exercise his exempt status.

Agreed and most probably have a bit of a moan about it too. I very much doubt he truly meant the quit thing, the quote doesn't look great in just black and white with no tone or context of full conversation.

Other than an honest reaction, he really didn’t say much at all, except his opinion and a few maybes.

No biggie.

The Tour will say .....we can exempt you if you wear a PPE suit while playing.

Hadwin's message/statement is completely out of touch with the realities that people are facing today. It's not a good sound (look) to put out there. A far better message would have been "I'm looking forward to playing again under any conditions."

My solution is a tour issue oven mitt for removing the flag stick. Or assign a volunteer on each green that is authorized to touch the flag stick. I imagine a small person like tennis ball boy/girl to zip on the green and remove the flag stick as needed. Really, how hard is it to solve this problem. The PGATour should be embracing this as a chance to teach people how we can maintain some normalcy and keep safe from the virus by using our brains instead of living on polar opposites either locked in our homes or throwing caution to the wind.

You're telling Canadian's to toughen up ?

I don't fully agree. His job is to golf, he's been doing it for a decade plus and knows where he needs to be mentally, to do his job the best. If tour players are going to travel, it's costly, it posses a risk, etc. So it may not be worth the hassle and cost, if he doesn't think he can play well, make the cut, and actually bring home a paycheck. Same for a lot of workers right now, more than half the countries workers stand to make more money on the boosted unemployment package than returning to work, so why even rush to get back to work and risk potential infection if you to make more sitting at home?

I agree a lot of these rules aren't 100% logical, but's its part of the required dog and pony show to let the event take place at all.

Agreed. Just assign local volunteers to tend the flagstick and rake the bunkers on each hole ... shouldn't take much training.

Yeah and/or just spray the flagstick and hole with disinfectant between groups. This is overblown.

Bah, that's his choice. The world needs ditch diggers, too. He'll make a fine one.

Where does it say he'd adapt to it?

I really like the flag attendant idea, that could easily solve issues and would be super easy and cheap. Sign me up, I'll play "flag boy" for a day! No, seriously, where do I sign up for this job????

When he says maybe he would moan and just go do it.

this is in the running for the biggest nothingburger ever.

"Maybe" isn't saying he'd adapt. Personally, I agree with the OP in thinking Hadwin is a whiner with a little sense of entitlement mixed in.

Player gives a generic answer; WRX replies “players are so bland these days and have no personality”.

Player actually answers the question; WRX replies “out of touch. Try working a real job”.

While I don’t like Hadwin’s answer, as I think it reveals why he hasn’t won bigger tournaments, he was asked a question and answered it honestly. Frankly I don’t like putting with the flag in either. I wouldn’t ever think of not competing because of it, but at least he gave an honest take. I think Adam should see Bob Rotella (or Tom Watson) and learn about embracing conditions on the course.

Tour issue oven mitt? Where can I get one?

Is he a headcase? How could it be that big of a deal? The ball will still go in the hole.

From Nike

no tour issues with his opinion.

No. I'm only telling 1 Canadian to toughen up. We've all had to make accommodations to how we work. All his peers on the course will be playing with same rules and conditions. So yeah, toughen up applies to him.