AARON Baddeley’s world ranking had dipped as low as 427th last October and his most recent PGA Tour victory – the 2011 Northern Trust Open – seemed like a distant memory. Yet the Victorian erased all the doubts and ended the drought with a playoff victory at the alternate-field Barbasol Championship in Alabama to resecure his playing privileges and earn a start in next week’s US PGA Championship.

The Barbasol Championship represents Aaron Baddeley’s first victory since February 2011. PHOTO: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images The Barbasol Championship represents Aaron Baddeley’s first victory since February 2011.
PHOTO: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Much like Greg Chalmers two weeks earlier at the opposite-field Barracuda Championship, Baddeley has resurrected his career and given himself job security with a two-year PGA Tour exemption. The Barbasol tournament’s alternate status doesn’t automatically earn him a Masters berth in 2017, but there are enough perks – including a world ranking boost to 134th – to bring an eighth Masters start into the picture.

The 35-year-old sealed this one the hard way. After Jhonattan Vegas shot a second-round 60, which included a six-hole stretch played in eight-under and a hole-in-one, to build a six-stroke lead through 36 holes, Baddeley went into attack mode. A best-of-the-day 64 on Saturday trimmed his 11-shot deficit to just three with a round to play before the putting maestro picked a Sunday 66 from the Grand National course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail to reach 18-under and tie Si Woo Kim, who shot weekend rounds of 65-63.

FINAL LEADERBOARD

The winless South Korean and the Australian battled for four extra holes before Baddeley rolled in a 24-foot birdie bomb to take the title, releasing the frustration of a half-decade of despair by tossing his putter skyward and hurling his cap in the same direction in celebration.

“I think you could tell by my reaction how much it meant to me,” said Baddeley, who had held only limited status on the PGA Tour this season. “It’s been a long time between drinks. I had some real struggles.”

The normally steady and stoic Baddeley reacted emotionally to his latest triumph. PHOTO: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images The normally steady and stoic Baddeley reacted emotionally to his latest triumph.
PHOTO: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Indeed he did. With a long game that deserted him, Baddeley turned to American coach Scott Hamilton, who favours simple methods when it comes to the golf swing. And their work has paid off. In Alabama, Baddeley’s action looked like the swing Australians fell in awe with during his dominant early years, while there was also a clearly evident confidence in his motion that resembled his peak years.

And with his magician-like putting never in question, Baddeley used his magic wand to end the deadlock with Kim.

“I was just telling myself, ‘Let’s end this right here. Come on,’” Baddeley said. “The first couple of putts (in the playoff), I didn’t quite swing it the way it needed to be swung. I just let it swing and it was going up over the hill and I was like, ‘Oh wait, this looks really good.’”

The Barbasol Championship is Baddeley’s fourth PGA Tour victory since he turned professional in 2000. He becomes the fourth Australian to win on the PGA Tour this season after Adam Scott claimed the Honda Classic and WGC–Cadillac Championship, Jason Day won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and WGC–Dell Match Play and Chalmers took out the Barracuda Championship.