When the now 41-year-old first emerged as something of a teenage ‘wunderkind’ the strengths and weaknesses of his game were obvious. “Wild off the tee and brilliant on and around the greens” was the consensus opinion, one confirmed more and more by Baddeley’s various and often erratic exploits on the PGA Tour. 

By most measures, the man born in New Hampshire but raised in Australia has had a stellar career. Four times he has won on golf’s most important circuit. Famously, either side of the amateur/professional divide there are two Australian Open victories on his resume, as well as two other tournament wins in his home country. He was part of the International Team at the 2011 Presidents Cup. And since he turned professional in 2000, Baddeley has accumulated more than $23m in prize money on the PGA Tour alone. 

Not too shabby. 

But the years since Baddeley’s fourth and so far, last victory on golf’s biggest circuit - the 2016 Barbasol Championship – have not been so kind. In the 2021-2022 season, by way of example, this father of six managed only one finish inside the top-25 from the 13 starts his lowly status afforded him. And he missed more cuts than he made. 

So it was that, as the 2022-2023 season dawned, Baddeley was reduced to Monday qualifying for PGA Tour events. They are brutal and brief 18-hole tests, with only four spots into each event available. But you have to start somewhere. And Baddeley did, making it into the Fortinet Championship and Butterfly Bermuda Championship – where he finished in a tie for sixth place. It was the first hint that a corner had been turned. 

In ten starts this season, Baddeley has two top-10s and has missed only three cuts. Counting the one-over par 73 with which he began this week’s Players Championship, he has been consistently excellent. In 35 rounds he has 29 times matched or beaten par, which is impressive enough. But even more striking is the fact that, inside six months, he has gone from Monday Qualifying to teeing-up in the biggest event on the PGA Tour.

“I’ve played well this year,” he confirms. “I’ve worked hard over the last couple of seasons. I feel like I’ve got my finger on exactly what I need to do. And it’s been nice to see some results stemming from all that effort, although I feel like there is still a lot of room for improvement. 

“There were times when I was struggling and I would take my game home with me. It’s frustrating when you are working your tail off and moving backwards ... Now it’s different." – Aaron Baddeley.

“I’ve been so much more consistent tee-to-green,” continues Baddeley. “Today I should have shot four-under easily the way I hit the ball. I missed a few short putts for birdie, which has been the case for a little while. I’m hitting it really close a lot. I’m getting a lot of looks at birdie. And, perhaps more importantly, I’m not hitting the ‘bad balls’ any more. I still get a little off here and there. But nothing like I used to. My reputation for hitting a couple way off-line and ruining my score was well earned. But I don’t do that much anymore, which is making a huge difference.”

Aaron Baddeley is happy with the progress of his game in recent times. PHOTO: Getty Images.

The man behind Baddeley’s much improved play between tee and green is swing coach Mike Adams. The pair first got together in September 2021, their immediate attention focused on Baddeley’s grip and stance in the set-up.

“My grip and the position of my feet at address now match what my body naturally wants to do in the swing,” says Baddeley. “So, I don’t have to think about that. And once I got used to that, everything really started to fall into place. Even now, all I really work on is set-up and grip.

“Essentially, the adjustments I made at the beginning of a shot have allowed my body to do what it wanted to do anyway,” he continues. “Instead of me looking at a camera and thinking I need to get into a certain position, Mike has my grip where it needs to be – in my case weaker, the right hand more on top of the club – and has matched up my feet to that new hold on the club.”

Those are adjustments that Baddeley has clearly embraced with enthusiasm and belief. The initial faith he had in what he was told has transformed into a new-found confidence. As a former caddie of his commented recently, “almost every day, Aaron would play great but then hit two ‘bye-bye’ balls that screwed up his score.” But now those catastrophic errors have largely disappeared. 

“My bad shots have improved so much,” reports Baddeley. “But so have my good shots. I am hitting closer in certain kinds and to certain pins way more than I used to. I am more precise. I’m hitting a little draw with the driver and pretty straight with the irons. It makes a big difference when you have faith in what you have been told. I get up there and hit so many good shots now. I just have to make more putts. My scores aren’t really reflecting how well I am playing. 

“Today, for example, I holed one 17-foot putt,” he continues. “But after that the longest birdie putt I made was four feet. I missed a bunch. If I had putted well, I would have shot four or five under. I’m getting there though. A friend sent me a stat last night. Jon Rahm has the most rounds of 65 or better on tour this year. He’s done that eight times. But I am tied for second on four. So, I’m definitely doing something right. It’s really encouraging. If the putter heats up - or when it does - I’ll do some damage.”

As you’d expect, the improvement in Baddeley’s shot-making has improved his mood both on and off the course. 

“There were times when I was struggling and I would take my game home with me,” he admits. “It’s frustrating when you are working your tail off and moving backwards. When you are trying to figure things out and are a bit lost, you look at your swing a lot more. I’ve been guilty of over-analysing a few times. Now it’s different.

“I don’t need to hit a ton of balls. I can work on my putting and chipping, which is the opposite of what I used to do.

“I haven’t lost any motivation to do well,” continues Baddeley. “I still love what I do. And now I have a much greater understanding of my game day-to-day. Even when things don’t feel quite right, I know what to look for. So, I get back on track much quicker. I honestly feel like my best golf is still in front of me.”

Indeed. New chapters in the life and times of Aaron Baddeley beckon.