Baddeley Win Is His First on Tour

Aaron Baddeley began the day in the most perfect place he could imagine, on Harbour Town’s lighthouse closing hole speaking about his Christian faith.

He called on that faith hours later Sunday on the same hole, repeating part of a New Testament verse as he stood over the winning six-foot par putt in the final round of the Verizon Heritage.

“I said, ‘This is for you Jesus,’ and knocked it in,” Baddeley said.

Baddeley won his first PGA Tour title, rallying with two late birdies and finishing off Jim Furyk with a scrambling par on the 18th.

Baddeley was tied with Furyk entering the round, had a two-shot lead by the fifth hole, then was down by that many to Furyk after No. 11.

But the 25-year-old Australian proved unflappable, birdieing two of the hardest holes on the PGA Tour -- the 14th was statistically the hardest par three on tour last year and the 15th was the hardest par five -- to move in front for good.

Baddeley shot a one-under 70 to finish at 15 under, a stroke ahead of Furyk (71) and two ahead of Vaughn Taylor (66) and Billy Mayfair (69).

“This is a stepping stone of the big picture,” Baddeley said.

Furyk, the 2003 U.S. Open winner seeking his first victory since the Western Open last summer, was seemingly in the clear when his birdie on No. 10 and Baddeley’s miscue on No. 11 put him up by two shots. However, Furyk missed a five-footer for par on the 12th hole and could not match Baddeley’s touch at the end.

Baddeley won $954,000 and, perhaps more important because he was ranked 158th on the money list coming in, gained a tour exemption through 2008.

He has three victories in Australia, winning the Australian Open as an 18-year-old amateur in 1999 and successfully defending his title as a pro in 2000.

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