Aaron Baddeley wins Northern Trust Open by two shots

Fred Couples birdied the first hole at Riviera Country Club on Sunday, making a five-footer and smiling. He birdied the second hole too, his sweetly soft chip from just off the green trickling in. The third? Birdie, an 18-foot putt dead center.

The roars for Couples from the gallery, lined four- and five-deep and mostly all pulling for the 51-year-old with the bad back and the textbook swing, created a buzz at the Northern Trust Open, even in the morning chill. After his third birdie, Couples had taken the lead and for a moment seemed ready to make history.

But playing in the same group as Couples was a slightly built, 6-foot, shaggy-haired Australian who just dipped his head and let the Couples love have its say.

Aaron Baddeley, 29 years old and twice a winner on the PGA Tour — but not since 2007 — matched Couples’ first-hole birdie, stayed par-steady for the next five holes and then grabbed control of the tournament with a bright birdie on the seventh hole.

He won his first title here with a final-day score of two-under 69 and a four-day total of 12-under 272.

“Everybody was yelling, ‘Freddie, Freddie, Freddie,’ ” Baddeley said. “I knew he was going to be the fan favorite, and no reason why he shouldn’t.”

Maybe Baddeley will hear those cheers next year. He finished two shots ahead of another surging veteran, 47-year-old Vijay Singh, who also shot 69 but could never quite put serious pressure on Baddeley.

Couples had a bogey four on the sixth hole and a double-bogey six on the seventh, then bogeyed two of the last three holes and finished with a 73 and in a tie for seventh place.

“I hit a poor shot on six and then drove it in that stuff on seven,” he said. “We were lucky to find [the ball]. And when I hit it out of there, I didn’t feel the same after that. I didn’t really hurt myself, but I couldn’t hit an iron. I did get off to a good start, and that was where it ended.”

If Couples’ struggles with his constantly aching back are well-known and if Couples was the sentimental favorite as he was trying to become the oldest winner on the PGA Tour in 35 years, Baddeley also has suffered over the last few years.

His world ranking, once as high as No. 16 (in 2008) was down to 224th in the world. With the top 64 players headed to Arizona for the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship this week, Baddeley can take time to think about what his win Sunday means. A spot in the Masters is one reward.

“I’m so excited to get back there,” said Baddeley of the Augusta National course, where he has made the cut twice in his five appearances and never has finished higher than tied for 17th. He did not play in the tournament last year.

Singh also has struggled to find his way the last couple of years. His world ranking has dropped out of the top 100 for the first time in 21 years.

“I haven’t had this feel for a long time,” he said. “It’s really good. I’m feeling good and I think I’ve still got it.”

There was only one moment of nervous golf for Baddeley, and it came on No. 12. He twice hit trees and double-bogeyed the hole. But Baddeley had a cushion. After his last putt, Baddeley kissed his wife, Richelle, and his daughters, 2-year-old Jewell and 9-month-old Jolee.

“Winning here is special,” Baddeley said. “I love, love, love coming here. I’ve been on the tour since 2003 and haven’t missed a year here yet.”

He’s not planning on missing next year either.

diane.pucin@latimes.com

twitter.com/mepucin