Rookie Adamonis playing with unusual maturity
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents
LA JOLLA, Calif. -- Brad Adamonis had long since finished practicing on Wednesday, and as nightfall settled over the scenic Pacific coast, he was back in his hotel room, engaged in a game of high-low-jack.
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In between hands of the card game, otherwise known as "pitch," his friend, Bill Matthews, a local attorney and 10-handicapper, decided to give the PGA TOUR rookie a putting tip.
"We were just kidding around," Adamonis recalled. "And then he said, this tip is going to make you a million dollars."
Matthews wanted Adamonis to start putting with his shoulders -- "Tiger does," the pro remembers his buddy saying. It wasn't until Adamonis hit the practice green on Thursday morning, though, that everything clicked.
Then Adamonis, who playing in just his 10th PGA TOUR event, went out and proceeded to fire a 6-under 66 on the North Course at Torrey Pines that left him alone in second place, one stroke behind Troy Matteson.
The 66 matched Adamonis' career low, shot in the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii two weeks ago. He hit all but two greens in regulation and rolled in birdie putts of 4, 4, 15, 20, 40 and 6 feet, as well as two-putted from 20 feet on the par-5 14th.
Adamonis was quick to give credit to Matthews, a friend of his father's "who used to take money off me when I was a kid," he said with a big grin. "Now I take money off him playing cards."
And who knows, maybe that tip will help Adamonis actually make money come Sunday when shares of the $6 million purse are handed out.
"He really helped me out," Adamonis said. "I made quite a few nice putts."
At 35 -- his birthday was eight days ago -- the Rhode Islander is older than many PGA TOUR rookies. A five-year veteran of the Nationwide Tour who won for the first time last year, Adamonis tied for ninth at q-school in December to earn his spot.
Prior to this season, he had played in seven TOUR events and only cashed one check. So far in 2008, though, Adamonis has made the cut in both tournaments he's entered and is starting to find his comfort zone.
Adamonis credits his caddy, Tim Duffy, a friend and accomplished player in his own right who once shot 60 in a tournament, with the improvement.
"He knows the game," Adamonis said. "He really helped me with my short game. I've improved from 100 yards in and also with my putting. So I think that's one of the keys that's helped me out definitely."
Patience and maturity have also made a big difference, but those have come with a large dose of perspective.
Adamonis' father, Dave, the golf coach at Johnson and Wales University in Miami, has obviously been a big part of his son's development. Three years ago, though, Dave Adamonis went into the hospital for a routine operation and almost died.
"He fought through it and lost 75 pounds," said Adamonis, adding that last rites were administered to his father three times. "After that point, you know, he really showed a lot of intestinal fortitude to get through that situation. It looked like he was going to die. ... For him to make it through that, it changed my perspective of the game and helped me out quite a bit."
Adamonis is also a close friend of Eric Compton, a Nationwide Tour veteran who had a heart transplant when he was 13. Compton suffered a heart attack last year, and Adamonis dedicated his first Nationwide Tour victory to his friend, who is now on the mend.
"I played with him the week before in Boise," Adamonis recalled. "He made a 9 on like the third-to-last hole, missed the cut by like a stroke, and he said that was the best cut he ever missed because if he would have been in Boise, he would have died.
"He went back home to Miami where he lives and he said he was like a minute from the hospital, and they said if he would have waited five more minutes he would have died. He's struggling with that, but he's getting a lot better. He has a great attitude, also, about things.
"But seeing situations like that kind of puts things in perspective for me."
Adamonis, who played golf at Miami (Ohio) University, said he used to put too much pressure on himself. Now, though, he has finally realized that he just needs to hit one shot at a time, and "it's been working out a lot better."
The Nationwide Tour was also a good proving ground for Adamonis, who earned more than $250,000 in the last two seasons. He has found a few more distractions in his brief TOUR career, though -- not the least of which is one Tiger Woods, who trails Adamonis by a shot.
"Yeah, I tried not to get myself looking at the leaderboard because the reality of the situation is I'm trying to execute shots," Adamonis said. "Most of the time when I look at the leaderboard I really don't execute well, so ... until maybe I'm lucky enough to win a tournament then probably I would feel a little bit more comfortable."
Who knows what kind of a comfort zone Sunday might bring?
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