PGA Tour pro known for sprinkler incident hit with penalty for breaking golf rule

Adam Hadwin's bid to secure a return to the PGA Tour suffered an early setback at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship after the Canadian was handed a two-stroke penalty for playing from the wrong place.

The 38-year-old was penalised on the par-3 2nd hole during Thursday's opening round at The Federal Club after taking more relief than the rules allowed under the event's preferred-lies policy.

Under Model Local Rule E-3, players are entitled to relief within one scorecard length. 

Hadwin, whose tee shot finished short of the greed, instead took a full club-length of relief.

According to Golf Channel's Brentley Romine, he reported the breach to rules official Adam Helmer on the following hole after noticing a playing competitor taking the shorter relief.

The confusion may have stemmed from Hadwin's appearance at the PGA Tour's Biltmore Championship a few weeks earlier, where officials had permitted relief of up to one club-length.

His par on the 2nd hole was subsequently changed to a double bogey, and he finished the opening round at 1-under par with a score of 70.

Hadwin responded strongly on Friday, reaching 5-under par through his first 10 holes to move into contention. 

Without the two-shot penalty from the previous round, he would have been level with the leader at that stage.

The Canadian is seeking an immediate return to the PGA Tour after losing full playing status at the end of last season, having spent 11 consecutive seasons on the circuit.

He began the championship ranked 54th in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings, with only the top 20 players securing PGA Tour cards for the following season.

In 13 Korn Ferry Tour starts, Hadwin has made seven cuts and recorded two top-10 finishes, including a runner-up result at the Panama Championship in February.

His results on the PGA Tour this year have been more modest. 

Across 12 starts, he has made five cuts and recorded one top-25 finish.

Hadwin became an internet sensation at the 2025 Valspar Championship after accidentally smashing a sprinkler head with his golf club in a moment of frustration.

He was playing the second round at Innisbrook Resort in Florida when, after a poor shot on the 10th hole, he struck the ground with his wedge.

Unbeknown to him, a sprinkler head was directly beneath the turf.

The impact damaged the sprinkler, sending water spraying into the air.

Hadwin, who was already having a difficult round, tried unsuccessfully to stop the water by stepping on the sprinkler before bending down to inspect the problem. 

Video of the incident quickly circulated on social media.