HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- Aaron Baddeley hopes to cap a big weekend with his first PGA TOUR victory on Sunday. Baddeley shot a 66 on Saturday and is tied for the lead with Jim Furyk (68) at 14-under entering the final round of the Verizon Heritage. First, the 25-year-old Australian and wife Richelle will celebrate their first wedding anniversary, and he will be the featured speaker at an Easter Sunrise Service at Harbour Town Golf Links. "It's something I definitely cherish," Baddeley said. "I think it's a perfect way to set the day." And Baddeley knows how he wants to close it. "I'm very confident. I'm hitting the ball very nicely. I'm putting very well," he said. "I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a fun day."
The final round could be one to remember at Harbour Town. Billy Mayfair (68) is three shots behind at 11 under. Then at 10 under comes Jerry Kelly (66) and Ernie Els, the only one of golf's "Big Five" playing this week. Lucas Glover (66), Chris Riley (68) and former champion Jose Coceres (68) are another shot back. Els shot a 65, tying for the lowest score of the day, to get back in contention. While Furyk saw that he and Baddeley had separated themselves a bit from the pack, he won't sleep easy. "There's quite a few guys not that far back, some good players," Furyk said, who along with Baddeley, earned recognition as AstraZeneca Charity Challenge winners for their standing as 54-hole leaders. Furyk started the round ahead by two over Baddeley, lost that lead on the front nine, before rallying to move a stroke in front with three straight birdies on Nos. 15-17. But Furyk was long with his 8-iron from the 18th fairway, his ball rolling in a bunker behind the lighthouse hole's green. Furyk had an awkward stance and said he tried to guide the ball onto the green. Furyk's shot came up short of the putting surface and he settled for bogey and the tie. Furyk said he played the approach the way he wanted, so "it's pretty easy just to say, 'Oh well," and forget it," he said. Furyk is trying for his first victory since last year's Cialis Western Open. Baddeley has not won a PGA TOUR event. Mayfair, who lost to Jose Coceres in a playoff in the 2001 tournament, had birdies on two of his final four holes. Furyk's largely solid play disappeared on the front nine, as he missed par saves of less than 10 feet on the seventh and eighth holes. His rally started with a a birdie on the 12th hole and kept going down the stretch with birdie putts of 6, 2 and 11 feet. Baddeley will have a very long Sunday. He's scheduled to speak at the tournament's Easter Sunrise Service at 7:30 a.m. before his final round pairing with Furyk. After the first two rounds, it seemed like the most memorable part of Els' visit to the island resort would be the morning bike rides with his family. He was eight shots behind after the first round and seven strokes down when he teed off for the third round. Els quickly showed why he's the No. 5 player in the world with birdies on four of his first five holes.
"So I had fresh air there, as they say," said Els, smiling. Els used that easy-going demeanor to regroup and play his best golf of the week. He had birdies on five of his final 10 holes, including three straight on Nos. 15-17, to move into contention. Els says mistakes like he made in the third round have typically cost him. "But today I was a bit more determined not to let it get to me too much, and I played a good back nine," he said. Divots: Bob Estes, the first one off and playing alone, finished his third round in 2 hours and 37 minutes. Estes shot an even-par 71. ... Heath Slocum tied Els for the day's best round at 65. Slocum shot a 30 on the front nine, two off Craig Barlow's record set in 2003. ©The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. |
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