He woke up on Sunday feeling like he could win on the PGA TOUR, but it may have not been the most important waking moment that lead to success for Adam Svensson. That happened a couple years prior.
On Sunday the Surrey, B.C. golfer became the seventh golfer from that province to win on the PGA TOUR, following a tradition started by Ken Black in 1936. But it did not come by random luck. Sure there was a lot of talent, passion as a young golfer, and more that contributed, but the 28 year-old feels it is something more profound that shaped Sunday’s outcome.
Svensson was labelled as a future star from his early days. Junior standout, nearly two hands worth of wins at Division II Barry University, and he shot straight to the PGA TOUR by age 24. But the big show requires more of a golfer, and innate abilities alone are not enough. Eventually, Svensson recognized that after losing his card, all leading to today.
He learned from that bump in the road, as hard as it was. “Realizing I wasn’t as good as I actually was and realizing how hard everyone works on this tour and what it takes to get here,” he explains. “It was a blessing, to be honest. It kind of changed my path and everything.”
“I relied mostly on talent when I was younger,” he shared after hoisting the RSM Classic trophy that came with a $1.458 million first prize. “I didn’t put enough work in, I wasn’t that disciplined. Like I said, two years ago I decided to give it 100 percent and I’ve been super disciplined on, you know, I don’t drink anymore, I go to the golf course every day, I’m up at 6:00, I give it 100 percent now. That’s the reason.”
He added, “You can say you can work hard, but in the end you’ve got to actually do the work. I’m just proud of myself for doing that.”
That work has included honing in on his weaknesses. Known mostly for his ball-striking, with his time of the greens as an Achilles heel, Adam pushed to changed that just over a year ago. He engaged Putting Coach John Graham to help him out. Graham is a know commodity on tours, helping shape the putting thoughts and strokes of players like Justin Thomas, Cameron Champ, and more.
After opening in Sea Island this week with a 73 that left him languishing in the basement of the field Svensson worked with Graham to make some adjustments. He followed with a 64, a 62, and a 64 to finish the tournament at -19.
“I changed my stroke a little bit on Friday and then it was feeling really good. I just kind of stuck with it.’
The changes you ask? Adam explains: “We really work on flow in my stroke and sometimes on the long ones, especially this week, it’s fast so just having a little bit more flow has helped me with speed control, because I do get a little jabby sometimes. Just having a lot of — a little bit more flow in the back stroke.”
That certainly looked to be the truth on his closing holes at Sea Island where clutch birdies on the 70th and 71st holes creating the winning margin.
With a victory in just his 70th start on the PGA TOUR, Svensson’s job is secure (he earns a two-year exemption after this season) including starts in events next year like the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the Players, and The Masters.
The money and those exemptions are big rewards but they were not what was first on the mind of the B.C. kid who now calls South Florida home.
“I didn’t even think about it until it was brought up to me 15 minutes ago,” he said in his post-win presser. “I’m more proud of what I’ve accomplished from the direction I was to the direction I’ve gone now, it’s more fulfilling than money to me. I’m more just proud of myself for things I’ve been doing.”
And now, on the back of a week where he was the leader in Stroke Gained – putting, Canada’s Adam Svensson has more than a statistic to take away. He’s a winner on the PGA TOUR and that sounds good to him.
“It’s been dreams of mine since I was 10 years old, 8 years old. It’s just incredible. I don’t think the money does — I don’t think money really does anything. It’s the feeling of coming down the stretch and winning and all that stuff, you just can’t beat it.”
