Meet “Badds”
American-born, Australian-raised and the youngest golfer to win the Australian Open, as an amateur, at age 18. Aaron Baddeley further impressed when he successfully defended his title and captured his second win at the 2000 Australian Open. Since joining the U.S. PGA Tour in 2003, Badds has captured 4 wins, made the International team for the 2011 Presidents Cup and has consistently been known as one the best putters on tour.
Aaron “Badds” Baddeley is known for as one of the best putters on tour. He was first introduced to golf by his 2 grandmas at the age of 8. But didn’t take the game up til 13, then by his late teens. In his late teens, Badds was recognized as one of the most gifted talents the golf world had seen and by age 18 he stunned all when he became the youngest winner of the Australian Open when he won as an amateur in 1999. He turned professional in 2000 and went on to defend his title at the Australian Open that year.
In 2003, Badds first year on the PGA Tour after earning his tour card by finishing 10th on what was then the Nationwide Tour money list in 2002! His ‘03 rookie year got off to a fast start, unfortunately losing on the second playoff hole, at the Sony Open in Hawaii, when Ernie Els made a 45 foot putt for birdie and Badds left his 20-foot tying putt sitting on the lip. His breakthrough win on tour came in 2006 at the Verizon Heritage Classic when he made a clutch 6 foot putt on the 72nd hole to win by one over Jim Furyk!
The following year in 2007 he captured his second PGA Tour victory in his adopted home town of Scottsdale, Arizona at the WM Phoenix Open, where he closed with back to back 64’s to win by one. He went on to add to his International resume by claiming his first Australian Masters Championship that November.
In February 2011, Badds claimed his third title on the PGA Tour when he beat out veteran Vijay Singh by 2 strokes at the Northern Trust Open. 2011 was a good year for Badds, after win he continued to play well, making it to the Tour Championship which is Top 30 Fedex list for the season and played in his first Presidents Cup in his homeland of Australia. Fast forward to the 2015-2016 season, Badds had found himself in new territory. For the first time, he had lost his Tour card. He worked diligently week after week to seek out exemptions and invitations to each event. By late summer, he found redemption as he captured his fourth PGA Tour victory at the 2016 Barbasol Championship in a very dramatic fashion. On the fourth playoff hole, Baddeley sunk a 24-foot putt to overcome Si Woo Kim, and he danced his way around the green celebrating the huge weight that was lifted off his shoulders. lifted off his shoulders. What made the win all the more special was Richelle and his kids being there to watch it happen and they were able to celebrate as a family. In Badds eyes, doesn’t get much better than that.
The victory propelled him into the Fedex playoffs where he finished Top 70 that year. Badds is excited for the future and the golf that lies ahead, he truly believes “The Best is yet to come!!”
