Badds is Best at the FBR Open
Aaron Baddeley gets his second career win, with a little help
The young Australian trailed Jeff Quinney by three strokes with four holes remaining Sunday. Quinney stumbled with bogeys on the final two, to Baddeley's three birdies.
When Aaron Baddeley first appeared on the PGA tour in 2000, as a teenager, it was amid great fanfare. At a time when fans and media were convinced that no current pro could compete with Tiger Woods, it seemed Baddeley might be the one.
After back-to-back wins in the 1999 and 2000 Australian Open, it seemed the sky was the limit for Baddeley. In 2000, he came to the U.S. and played in three tournaments, failing to make the cut in two, and finishing 57th at the Honda Classic. All eyes quickly turned away after that showing.
Garnering some favor in the past couple of years, after some strong play and a win at the 2006 Verizon Heritage, it seems with Sundays' win at the FBR Open Badds may have arrived.
The field was noticeably without Tiger, but it certainly wasn't weak. Vijay Singh, Charles Howell, III, David Toms, Davis Love, III, Mike Wier, and Chris DiMarco were all on hand for the weekend.
All too often, too much emphasis is put upon a leader who stumbles coming in, and the tournament is won by another. More emphasis should be given to the player who has put himself in contention by four days of superb play and a strong finish. Aaron Baddely deserves all the credit. He played a fantastic tournament.
Here are some of his recent PGA tour rankings:
- Putting average - 23rd
- Greens in Regulation - 98th
- Scoring average - 99th (71.29)
- Driving Distance - 95th (284.5)
The year is still young. He is a well-grounded young man with tremendous potential. Look for his stats to improve.
