Baddeley’s unlikely Texan birdie

Aaron Baddeley stole the limelight at the Valero Texas Open with the most unlikely birdie of the PGA Tour season so far.
The Australian made a three at the driveable 336-yard 17th from the tee after he declared his first shot, which went into trees on the left, unplayable.
He did manage to find his ball, but his chances of getting it back onto short grass were extremely slim.
He decided to stick with the driver and choked down on it, hitting an arrow-straight drive and walking after it before jumping for joy as the crowd around the green erupted. His ball had disappeared straight into the hole.
“I was thinking of gripping a 3-wood or hit a cut driver, and I don’t know, I went with the cut driver and hit a pulled draw in the middle of the trees,” said Baddeley after signing for a four-under 68 which left him one behind Charley Hoffman in the first round.
“I just thought I’d hit the next one straight and so I hit it and started walking and then heard the crowd going nuts. I was like, wait, I just made birdie.
“I played really nice for the majority of the day. I just said to myself it was the wrong shot. Hit a straight one. It was straight downwind, get it going straight, it will go straight.
“So I hit the second one and said, man, why didn’t I do that the first time? And it rolls up and goes in.”
He also admitted he was fortunate to be among the later starters on Thursday, with scores soaring early on as players battled winds gusting close to 40mph.
“I saw the forecast, it was going to die down just a little bit,” Baddeley noted.
“I knew it was going to be blowing. So even going to bed last night I already had the mindset. I just had to be patient, whether you got off to a good start or a bad start. So I think days like today the mindset is the most important.”
Latest
-
News
Xander Schauffele pledges to ‘fake it until I make it’ after contracting Covid
Schauffele is one of 16 players in the Sentry Tournament of Champions who failed to win an official event last season.
-
News
After years with TaylorMade, Jon Rahm joins Callaway
Spaniard will have Callaway woods and irons in his bag at Sentry Tournament of Champions.
-
News
What to expect from the 2021 OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic
There are more prestigious events on the European Tour, but there’s no denying that the Dubai Desert Classic just has something about it.
-
News
Organisers delay ticketing process for 2021 Masters as another fan shutout looms
Augusta National Golf Club is considering its options before making a call on 2021 Masters.
-
News
Tiger Woods’ former swing coach: I think I over-coached him
Sean Foley reckons he didn’t give Tiger the help he really needed.
-
News
Greg Norman returns home from hospital to await coronavirus test results
The 65-year-old spent Christmas Day in hospital after experiencing symptoms.
-
News
Greg Norman in hospital with coronavirus
The 65-year-old shared a photo of himself in a hospital bed on Christmas Day.
-
News
Lee Westwood sees age as no barrier to his golfing aspirations
Westwood, at the age of 47, has been crowned European Tour’s Golfer of the Year for 2020.
-
News
Tiger Woods and son Charlie finish seventh in PNC Championship
Tiger said it was “incredibly special” to spend quality time with his son on the golf course.
-
News
Tiger Woods and son Charlie create media storm in Florida
Woods Jnr’s swing looks an awful lot like his famous father’s.