A disappointing bogey after a perfect drive on the par-5 18th would be reason enough for most players to shun a post-round interview request but, ‘Badds’ is not most players. He stops for a chat and is keenly listening to people discussing the current Moore Park / public golf course debate before making a lone trek up the steep hill to the clubhouse. He stops to cheerfully chat with any number of people who approach him along the way.          

Truth is, despite leaving his wife and six children back home in Arizona, Baddeley was loving everything about the week back home in Australia, despite that 72nd hole misstep.

“It’s been awesome. I mean, look at the galleries. The crowds are huge, it’s been fantastic,” he enthused. “The atmosphere has been fantastic; the golf courses have been just brilliant.

“Overall, I felt like I played alright. I finished at six-under and played the par-5s in two-over. If I play the fives better like you should, maybe in 10-under, you’ve got a chance to win the golf tournament.

“Then again, my game is in a good spot. Disappointed not to have a chance to win today but, that’s OK.”

Baddeley has loved his time back on home soil. PHOTO: Getty Images.

A legitimate opportunity to take a run at the lead on Sunday was in effect cruelled for Baddeley in the third round when he blocked his drive onto the notorious Dunk’s Hill to the right of the 9th fairway, his final hole of the day. It’s a spot Rory McIlroy (among many) will know well for the triple bogey he made at this tournament in 2014 and in Baddeley’s case, the double-bogey dropped him to five-under – a full eight strokes behind leaders Min Woo Lee and Rikuya Hoshino.

“Yeah, if I could have snuck in a birdie coming home and got to eight-under, you can make a charge,” he said. “I think there’s a seven or eight-under out there with the greens being receptive and as perfect as they are. You can definitely make some putts out there.

“I really needed to finish eight-under there yesterday.”

With his fix for Australian golf partially sated after a long absence, Baddeley will head back to the States tomorrow to reunite with his family and take a break ahead of the 2024 season – his 22nd on the PGA Tour – after his best season in eight years. Baddeley comfortably kept his card yet again in a busy schedule of 26 events but there’s little doubt his 27th and last event of the year here in Australia, will live in his memory for some time.

“I love coming home, love coming back to play,” Baddeley said. “When you have six kids though, sometimes you have to skip golf tournaments to be there as a Dad.

“I did that last year and this year, I’m missing a few things to come down here but, that’s OK.

“(Coming back here) reminds me of when I was young, a lot of this reminds me of when I was a junior and stuff like that.

“It’s been fantastic.”