Adam Hadwin joined an elite club on Saturday.
The Canadian finished with the ninth round under 60 in PGA Tour history, shooting a 13-under-par 59 to take a one-stroke lead in the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, Calif.
Hadwin blew past the field after starting the day tied for 49th to become the eighth tour player with a 59. The sizzling round moved him to 17-under 199 through 54 holes and a one-stroke lead over first-round leader Dominic Bozzelli.
A week earlier in Hawaii, Justin Thomas shot a 59 at the Sony Open.
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Hadwin's 59 came on the LaQuinta Country Club course and matched the tournament record set by David Duval in 1999 on the Arnold Palmer Private Course. Bozzelli posted a 69 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course.
"I don't really know what to say just yet," Hadwin said. "I think it's still sinking in. I think everybody talks about kind of they were in a zone and I think that's kind of what happened."
Hadwin's score was one shy of the tour-record 58 shot by Jim Furyk at the Travelers Championship in August. Furyk is the only player to shoot below 60 twice. Hadwin joined Furyk as the only players to break 60 on a par-72 course and he also became the first Canadian to achieve the feat.
Hadwin's 59 included seven birdies on holes No. 1 through 9 and six on the back nine for 13 total birdies and no bogeys.
The 29-year old parred No. 1 and then ran off seven birdies in a row. Hadwin also made five consecutive birdies from Nos. 11 through 15 and added a birdie by making a 6-foot putt on No. 17 before draining a short par putt on No. 18.
The former University Louisville player admitted he was nervous on the last hole.
"I knew exactly what I needed to do and through that whole process, if anything, I was thinking 58," Hadwin said. "So to be able to do it when I needed to. I know I was nervous. The putt barely went in on 17, and I only had 6 feet.
"I was happy to see the putt drop on 18. Last thing I wanted to do was miss a 3-footer for 59. So I was more relieved than anything walking off that green."
Second-round leader Hudson Swafford fell into a tie for third at 15 under after a 71 on the Stadium Course. Joining him at 15 under were Bud Cauley, Brian Harman and Chad Campbell.
Cauley had the low round of the three with a 65 on at La Quinta Country Club. Campbell shot a 66 and Harman a 69 on the same course.
Phil Mickelson, playing in his first event of the year after undergoing a pair of sports hernia surgeries, took a step back in the third round. The 46-year-old shot a 2-over 73 after finishing with a double bogey on the Stadium Course and slipped into a tie for 21st at 9 under.
