Baddeley takes two-shot lead over Els in Sony
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
All week at Waialae Country Club, 21-year-old Aaron Baddeley has preached patience. His golf game is too precocious to be patient.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
Baddeley, playing his first event with a PGA Tour card, broke away on the front nine of the Sony Open in Hawai'i yesterday and putted well enough to hold off Ernie Els on the back. Baddeley takes a two-shot advantage over Els into the final round today.
Sony Open in Hawai'i leader Aaron Baddeley tees off at the 14th hole during the third round at Waialae Country Club.
"Leading my first PGA tournament and playing with the second-best player in the world," Baddeley said. "That's exciting."
The difference was an eagle on the ninth hole, where Baddeley coaxed in a 45-foot putt to make the turn in 5-under-par 30 — five shots clear of everyone. He parred the final nine holes to shoot 65 in blustery Kona winds, taking him to 15-under 195.
Els dropped six birdie putts on the back and shot 66 to give Baddeley something to think about.
"I felt like I really got a lot out of my round today," Els said. "Didn't play great on the front nine but kind of grinded it out. I'm two back and really pleased with that. At one point I was five or six back. At least I've got a chance tomorrow."
Els is looking for his second victory in as many weeks after smashing the tour scoring record at the Mercedes Championships. He is looking up at Baddeley, who would be the youngest — by three years — to win at Waialae, going back to the inaugural Hawaiian Open in 1965. Ben Crenshaw was 24 when he won in 1976.
Robert Gamez (65), looking for his first victory since 1990, and Briny Baird (67), looking for his first victory, share third with Chris DiMarco (69). They are five back. Shigeki Maruyama (69), who bogeyed two of his final four, is six behind.
Retief Goosen, the world's fourth-ranked player, went into the third round tied for the lead with Baddeley. That lasted one swing.
• FINAL ROUND: Today, 7:51 a.m. • WHERE: Waialae Country Club (35-35i70, 7,060 yards) • TV: ESPN, 2-5 p.m.
Goosen's first drive was way right — inbounds but unplayable. He took a drop and, ultimately, triple bogey. Meanwhile, Baddeley's drive was perfect and he immediately felt calm. He coolly drained a 12-foot birdie putt on the second hole, a 10-footer at No. 4 and a 25-footer at No. 7.
Sony Open in Hawai'i
Goosen was six back after four holes and eight down at the turn.
With that South African seven shots back today, Baddeley will concentrate on another — Els, the man with three major championships and a game so grooved he has won his last three starts and is 65-under in his last two-plus stroke-play events.
Baddeley has stared down big names before, denying Greg Norman, Colin Montgomery, Robert Allenby and Sergio Garcia when he won the Australian Open in 1999 (as an amateur), defended in 2000 and captured Norman's Holden International in 2001.
He has also played 21 previous PGA Tour events through exemptions, but couldn't get through the 2001 Qualifying School while he was in the midst of making major swing changes. He spent last year earning his way in by finishing 10th on the Nationwide Tour money list.
"It was a blessing in disguise," Baddeley said. "To play on the Nationwide Tour last year where I could still improve and work on my game instead of having the pressure of being out here on the main tour. ... I always had confidence I could get back to where I was and even better again. There was never a doubt in my mind."
Baddeley has handled the pressure here like a man without a worry, probably something to do with his Australian upbringing. His swing never faltered and he has been flawless on Waialae's quick and quirky Bermuda greens. He needed just 24 putts yesterday —18 dying into the heart of the hole — and is averaging a tournament-best 25.3 this week.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
Baddeley has touch and a sense of timing, traits that usually take much longer to develop. Els, feeling worldly at 33, has seen it before.
Ernie Els chipped a shot from the fringe of the 18th green and parred the hole. Els trails Aaron Baddeley by two strokes entering the final round.
"He's obviously a guy for the big time," Els said. "He's definitely not scared. If he feels he's playing well he feels he can beat any field. It's a little different tomorrow, it's the big leagues. But he's a big league player. I think Tiger Woods was 20 or 21 when he started beating the hell out of us. He's probably feeding off all the positives from the other young players. I don't see him backing down."
That happened to others yesterday, such as Goosen and Corey Pavin, who won here in 1986 and '87.
Pavin, searching for his first victory in seven years, played the first 11 holes in 6-under to pull to four shots of first. He played the final five holes in 4-over, and finished 68-203.
• Third-round leaders:
195
Aaron Baddeley 66-64-65
197
Ernie Els 66-65-66
200
Robert Gamez 66-69-65
Briny Baird 68-65-67
Chris DiMarco 65-66-69
201
Shigeki Maruyama 66-66-69
202
Robert Allenby 68-69-65
Retief Goosen 64-66-72
