Hadwin: If Flagstick Stays In Hole, "That might make me honestly rethink playing"

Scott Stallings suggested PGA Tour players were “not going to play for their livelihood with no rakes in the bunker.”

And now Adam Hadwin is wondering if he can play with flagsticks left in the cup to prevent excessive player/caddie contact with the pin.

Now, all of these great golfers are eager to get back and undoubtedly a few are practically inconsolable without golf to prepare for. But it’s also clear that when they return, things will change, less money might be there and some “sacrifices” will need to be made.

Hadwin is a very grounded person and comes off that way during the rest of the interview where he expresses empathy for those dealing with the virus. So it’s a bit startling to hear an elite golfer suggest in this time of pandemic that putting with the flagstick in has proven so untenable.

“Are we not going to be allowed to touch pins, or flags?” 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.”

This picture painted by Hadwin illustrates an issue golf faces, assuming the sport and world listens to pros instead of just telling them this is (temporarily) how it’s going to be for a while.

“Maybe there’s one person wearing gloves walking with every group that pulls flags for us when we need to so caddies or players aren’t touching it,” 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.”

I’d do a poll, but pretty sure 99% of you would vote for Hadwin going the route of “I’ll play and moan about it every day that I play and just go do it.”

The full interview: