Youth Is Served in Sydney as Baddeley, 18, Wins Open

Aaron Baddeley, 18, won the Australian Open on Sunday to become the youngest champion in the tournament’s 95-year history and the first amateur winner in 39 years.

Baddeley closed with a three-under-par 69 for a two-stroke victory over fellow Australians Greg Norman and Nick O’Hern.

“I thought I could win today,” he said. “I played to the best of my ability and it was good enough. You dream about this.”

Baddeley, born in the United States when his Australian father Ron worked briefly as a mechanic for race driver Mario Andretti, finished with a 14-under 274 total on the Royal Sydney course.

He opened with a 67 and added rounds of 68 and 70 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round.

Norman closed with a 69, O’Hern a 70. They each earned $90,000, while Baddeley missed out on $115,000 because of his amateur status.

Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie, Baddeley’s playing partner Sunday, shot a 71 to tie for fourth with Ireland’s Paul McGinley and New Zealand’s Michael Long.

Baddeley was distracted on the first tee, prompting him to stop his swing. He backed away from the ball, repeated his routine, and blasted a perfect drive down the middle.

Montgomerie birdied the first two holes to tie Baddeley at 12 under, but the Australian regained the lead with a birdie on No. 3.

The Scot slipped back with a bogey on No. 5, and Baddeley opened a three-stroke lead when he topped Montgomerie’s birdie on the par-five seventh with an eagle.