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Badd business Teenage star wins young guns shootout
Updated: Sunday February 11, 2001 9:28 PM
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Australian golfer Aaron Baddeley added the Greg Norman Holden International to his two Australian Open wins Sunday, beating Spain's Sergio Garcia on the first playoff hole at The Lakes. The 19-year-old Australian birdied the 178-meter par-3 18th in the playoff to edge Garcia in the joint Australasian-European PGA tournament. The win earned Baddeley a two-year exemption on the European Tour. "It was nerve-racking stuff coming down the home stretch and to hole that putt at the end was just awesome," Baddeley said. "Sergio played great. We played in a great spirit out there. He's a true sportsman." Baddeley and Garcia, 21, started the day as co-leaders at 16-under-par, after Garcia was handed a two-shot penalty Saturday for a rule infringement over a drop during the third round. "A couple of shots would have helped but that's the way it is -- somebody didn't want me to win this week and he did it," Garcia said after Sunday's round.
Garcia was referring to European PGA Tour chief referee John Paramor, who angered the Spaniard by docking him for dropping incorrectly from an advertising sign. Garcia had checked with playing partner Greg Norman, who had given him his approval for the drop, after deciding not to wait for an official ruling. "You never know what would have happened today but it's always different to be on the first tee on a Sunday leading by two instead of tied for the lead," said Garcia. "It's a big difference because you can play some shots a little less aggressively, stay a little calmer." Over the course of Sunday afternoon, the lead switched between Garcia and Baddeley -- who will also both play the Australian Masters this coming week at Melbourne's Huntingdale -- but when they stood at the 72nd tee, they were locked together again at 21-under. Both parred the final regulation hole to card 5-under 68s and send the tournament into a playoff. At the first playoff hole, both players landed their tee shots on the green. Garcia failed narrowly with his 40-footer for birdie before Baddeley holed out from about 20 feet. Third was Englishman Ian Poulter (68) who caught up with Garcia and Baddeley when he holed out from a greenside bunker to eagle the par-5 17th. But Poulter, rookie of the year on the European Tour last season, was left out of the playoff when Baddeley and Garcia birdied the same hole and Poulter missed a birdie attempt from 18 feet on the 18th. Host Norman also finished with a 68 -- as did all four leading players Sunday -- to finish in fourth a stroke back of Poulter.
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