Adam Hadwin delivered exactly the kind of start he needed in his fight to keep full PGA Tour status, opening with a 6-under 65 in tough, windy conditions at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship on Thursday. The first round at Port Royal wasn’t completed due to darkness, but Hadwin’s early lead set the tone for a crucial week.

The Canadian entered Bermuda at No. 147 in the FedExCup standings with only two events left. With just the top 100after next week’s RSM Classic keeping full PGA Tour cards for 2026, Hadwin faces one of the most pressure-packed stretches of his 10-year career.

He leads Japan’s Takumi Kanaya by one stroke, while Braden Thornberry sits at 5 under with two holes remaining.

For Hadwin, 38, this season has been unfamiliar territory. A two-time Presidents Cup player and a decade-long PGA Tour mainstay, he had never missed the FedExCup Playoffs until this year. The slump shook him.

“A bit of a shock to the ego, not gonna lie,” Hadwin said. “It might have hindered me early in the season as I continued to struggle. By July or August, I finally accepted where I was and realized I just had to battle through.”

But he also insisted the best is still ahead:

“I truly believe my best golf is still to come. Today was a good start.”

Kanaya and Thornberry, like Hadwin, are also fighting to climb inside the top 100.

Behind them, Ryo Hisatsune, Alex Smalley, and Isaiah Salinda opened with 67s, while Frankie Capan III was 4 under with two holes to finish when play was suspended.

With careers and cards on the line, the stakes at Port Royal could not be higher — and Hadwin’s strong opening round may prove pivotal in keeping his PGA Tour future intact.