Brad Adamonis seeks a ruling on where to make his drop in yesterday’s playoff.

>

AP / Charles Rex Arbogast

Brad Adamonis had a career-changing day yesterday, even with a disappointing finish.

The Cumberland High grad, who learned to play golf at Kirkbrae and Pawtucket country clubs, lost a three-way playoff for the championship of the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill. Adamonis drove into the trees on the first playoff hole and, with an all-but-impossible angle, went for the green on the 476-yard, par-4. His ball landed safely but then bounced into water that guards the entire left side.

Kenny Perry, the hottest player on tour, made a routine par to win the $738,000 first-place check. Adamonis and Jay Williamson, who also hit his approach on the playoff hole into the water, settled for the second-place tie and checks of $369,600 each.

The money is more than Adamonis, 35, had made all season in this, his rookie year on tour. In fact, it is more than he had made in any single season in his 12 years as a pro. Added to the $351,436 he had earned in his first 17 starts, it vaulted Adamonis from 135th place to 88th on the earnings list, directly behind fellow Rhode Islander Brett Quigley, who is 87th.

It is a giant step toward maintaining his card for next year. The top 125 each year maintain full playing privileges.

As it is, Adamonis has not been able to play in all events. He earned a tour card by finishing in a tie for ninth in Qualifying School last December. However, players who do that are ranked behind those from the top 125, as well as the 25 players who earn cards from the Nationwide Tour each year.

That has meant Adamonis has not been able to play in some events. As recently as last week, he began as an alternate for the AT&T National. His ranking has been only one hurdle he has had to overcome. Adamonis also has had to overcome several health and injury problems.

One is a disease called nystagmus. It is a mysterious and little-known problem that involves an inner ear imbalance. Among the problems it causes is for the eyes to begin racing uncontrollably from side to side.

“Sometimes it happens a couple times a week, sometimes it doesn’t happen at all for a couple months,” Adamonis explained. “It only lasts a couple minutes, but when it does I have to sit down. I can’t do anything.”

Several weeks ago in the tournament in Hartford, where he had a tie for sixth, his only previous top-25 before yesterday, Adamonis had a bout with nystagmus during one round and had to stop play briefly. Thankfully for him, it was a brief episode and he was able to continue.

Even last week he has had issues. He is traveling with his wife, Stacey, and their two children, Grace, 3, and Nicholas, who just turned 1. Stacey Renaud spent part of the week in a hospital because of food poisoning. That meant Adamonis spent time both with his wife and taking the two children to and from the child-care service provided by the tour.

Adamonis began the final round in a tie for the lead, chipped in for birdie on the first hole and was alone, or in a share of first place, for much of the day.

Perry, who now has won three of his last five tournaments, moving him behind only Tiger Woods on the earnings list, passed Adamonis early on the back nine. Adamonis fell as low as a tie for third, two strokes behind Perry.

However, Adamonis birdied the par-5 17th while other contenders, including Perry, stumbled. Perry bogeyed the final hole just as Adamonis was making his bird on 17.

That meant Adamonis could win it with a bird on the final hole. He hit two good shots on the green, but his 18-footer for the win stopped well short.

“I know there was a chance to win,” he said. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is pretty awesome.’ I didn’t hit a very good putt, but maybe next time.”

The performance solidifies his position more so than at any time since he turned pro after graduating from Miami (Ohio) University.

Adamonis played on numerous mini-tours as he developed his game. Just two years ago, he competed in the Providence Open at Triggs, a tournament that will be played tomorrow and Wednesday under the auspices of the new Golfers’ Warehouse Tour.

Had he won yesterday, Adamonis would have received a berth in this week’s British Open. As it is, he heads to Milwaukee for this week’s tour stop.

pkenyon@projo.com