Svensson staying positive after third-round slip at Players Championship
Published
While most of the field at the Players Championship was going low on Saturday, Adam Svensson was going in the other direction.
After starting the third round with the 36-hole lead, the Canadian struggled to a three-over 75, dropping into a tie for 14th spot. It was a full reversal from the first 36 holes where every part of his game seemed to be working to perfection.
It would be easy, then, to think the B.C. golfer would be crushed by the performance. It was the first time he’d been atop the leaderboard at the half-way mark of a PGA Tour event. He was in the final group, playing alongside World No. 2 Scottie Scheffler in front of a massive gallery. He was two rounds away from the biggest win of his career. While the leaderboard was full of red numbers, his was one of only a handful that showed black.
Instead, Svensson was accepting of his play. While he didn’t like the score, he saw a bigger picture.
“I had fun and I enjoyed it," said Svensson. "It was a great time.”
And in a situation like the one he went through, that was probably the best attitude to take. Certainly he wasn’t happy about the way he hit the ball or chipped or putted, but a long day was over and already in the past once he holed out on 18.
“A little bit with the putter, a little bit with the irons,” he said of the lapses in his game. “You're going to have one of those days. When you have those days, you scramble for par or whatever, but just had too many mistakes.”
He wasn’t beating himself up or steaming mad at how he’d played, as some players might have been. Rather he was already reviewing his day, picking out the good things that happened.
One of those was the experience of playing in the final group at the Players with Scheffler.
“I’ve never played in front of that many people,” he said of the crowd that was, not surprisingly, vocally backing Scheffler. “It was an experience.
“It didn't rattle me at all. I just really enjoyed the experience out there. I think it's great for me, and I'll do better next time.”
This is part of the transformation of Svensson that has made him not only a better player, but a better person. He has always been an exceptionally talented golfer, winning tournaments in junior, amateur, college and on the Korn Ferry Tour.
But three years ago, after losing his first PGA Tour card and being relegated to the Korn Ferry Tour, he made decisions in his life that have rounded out his golf game and, more importantly, his character and helped him get through bad days on the course. He’s more dedicated to practice. He’s organized and professional. He gets up at the same time every day, Spends the same amount of time practicing all parts his game, both physical and mental.
His long-time girlfriend, Gabi Powel, who has been walking along with him this week, has also been a stabilizing force. All of this is what gets him through the tough days with a smile.
The social media loudmouths may point at his 75 and describe it in all sorts of negative ways. Predictable. A disaster. A choke. It won’t bother Svensson. He’s comfortable in his own world.
Sunday will be another chance to put his positivity into play. There is still plenty to play for and a low round will go a long way.
“I'm just going to try and shoot six-, seven-under tomorrow,” he stated, “and if I don't, I don't. It's all good.”
It certainly is.