The resurgence of Aaron Baddeley
Back in 2007, Aaron Baddeley was on the short list of elite Australians set to take over the PGA Tour. He had won his first PGA Tour title in 2006, edging Jim Furyk at Harbour Town, and followed that up with another win in 2007. He found himself in the hunt at the U.S. Open that same year before a final round 80 dropped him out of contention.
Still, it looked like Baddeley would be around for a while.
And then golf decided to do what golf does, and pushed Baddeley out of the limelight. He had only three top-10s in 2008. Just two in 2009. This season has been more of the same, with few missed cuts but few high finishes. Just a bunch of 50th and 70th place finishes.
That is until this week, back at Harbour Town, the site of his first win. Bads as they call him is again battling with Furyk, and is again doing what you need to do to compete at the Verizon Heritage; make a ton of pars and very few mistakes.
If he wins, it will again boost him to the top of an Australian list that has since grown in size to include names like Michael Sim, Jason Day, and Mathew Goggin.
He could do what guys like Adam Scott and Robert Allenby have struggled to do the last few years; take home a trophy.
It will all lie with his ball-striking, which has been suspect at best this season. If he can hit fairways on Sunday, and find a few greens, he will have a shot to leave town with another plaid jacket.
