“I think you could tell by my reaction how much it meant to me,” said Aaron Baddeley.
Baddeley made a 24-foot putt on the fourth playoff hole against Si Woo Kim to win the Barbasol Championship at the Lake Course of Grand National in Auburn/Opelika, Alabama.
Baddeley displayed a dance off the green after the putt, tossed his club in the air and threw his cap back onto the green after his fourth PGA Tour victory, his first in 5 1/2 years.
Baddeley earned a two-year exemption and a spot in the PGA Championship along with a trophy and a winners purse of $630,000, his part of the $3.5 million tournament gross.
Said Baddeley, “It’s been a long time between drinks and I had some real struggles.”
Both Baddeley and Kim parred the first three holes of the playoff on 18 and 17. Kim sent his fourth final approach shot into the rough between two grandstands where he chipped to within 5 feet of the hole but Baddeley had it closed out before Woo finished.
Speaking through an interpreter Kim said, “It was an exciting tournament and I had a slow first few rounds. I’m glad I finished the third and fourth round strong. The playoff was definitely a great experience for me on the PGA Tour.”
Disappointment came to Jhonattan (Jhonny) Vegas, someone who built a fan base at the tournament.
His Sunday opened with a three-stroke lead and five holes to go to complete the rain-delayed third round from Saturday. He then shot four bogeys and an eagle over the first nine holes, two days after setting the course record with a 60. His lead dwindled and he finished tied for 4th.
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