Aaron Baddeley delivered fans around the 18th green both disbelief, despair and then delight in playing out of a greenside bunker on the opening day of the Valero Texas Open.
Firstly there was disbelief when Baddeley’s second shot kicked left off the green and into the bunker.
There was then despair when the double Australian Open champion failed to get out of the bunker in regulation but then delighted he holed the 30-foot wedge shot that took two bounces and find the bottom of the cup in a round of a two under par 70.
Aaron Baddeley holes out for par at the last in round of 70.
“The ball initially was lying like a fried egg and really buried,” he said.
“I didn’t want the ball to take off but then I just got a bit too cute with it. So to hole out for a par was a nice way to finish the round.
“I played really solid all day hitting 12 greens in regulation and then only taking 26 putts which is pleasing.”
There had been a two-and-a-half delay to the start of play in the $US 6.2m event due to fog and with the threesome of Baddeley, Padraig Harrington and William McGirt seeing their 7.50am tee time moved back to near 10.20am.
American Pat Perez and Koreanp-born New Zealander Danny Lee, who has been living in Irving Texas for five years, share the lead on four under par late in the day.
The three then walked from the final green just after 3pm local time.
“My alarm went off about 5.30am so it’s been a really long day,” said Baddeley.
“But then I only managed a short warm-up in the end as it looked as though the fog would set in for much of the morning but then just after 10am it lifted well enough so we could tee off.
“So we had just about five minutes to get going and in the circumstances I am pleased with the start.
“After missing the cut in the Valspar Championship my game seems to have turned around thanks to my coach who changed one little piece in my swing, and that was all about trying to find the right time to do it and we did that last week at Bay Hill.
“It was really just about how my right arm works with regards my swing, as the right arm was not working all that well and that was causing issues with other parts of my game.”
It is Baddeley’s seventh appearance in the event since making his debut in 2000 and with his best finish being T3rd in 2010 behind fellow Australian Adam Scott.
Baddeley also is among 129 players in the 144-player field still not qualified for next month’s Masters and while the Victorian would dearly love to be returning to Augusta National he’s remaining in the present rather than let his mind wander to thoughts of teeing-up at Augusta.
“I haven’t been trying to think about the Masters and I’ve been keeping that in the back of my mind,” he said.
“I know if I win one of these next two events in Texas I will be heading to Augusta but then, as I said, I am just not trying to think about it.
“The Masters is my favourite golf tournament and it will hard having to watch it on TV, so I will be trying hard these next two weeks to get myself back there.”
