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| Aaron Baddeley of Melbourne Australia, hits his tee shot on the 3rd tee box during the final round of the Heritage Golf tournament Sunday, April 16, 2006, at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, S.C.(Xinhua/AP) | BEIJING,
April 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Australian golfer Aaron Baddeley has claimed
his maiden PGA Tour victory by a shot in Hilton Head, South Carolina, U.S.
Sunday.
Baddeley was tied with Jim
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 3 on tour last year and the
15th was the hardest par 5 to move in front for good.
Both players bogeyed the par-three 17th after failing
to hold the green off the tee before Baddeley sealed victory with a par at the
last.
At last Baddeley shot a 1-under 70 to finish at 15
under.
American Furyk, two strokes clear with seven holes to
play, had to settle for second place after bogeying the 12th and 17th on his way
to a 71.
"I said, 'This is for you Jesus,' and knocked it in,"
a smiling Baddeley told reporters after slipping on the tartan jacket
traditionally presented to champions at Harbour Town.
Twenty-five-year-old Baddeley became the fourth
Australian to triumph at Harbour Town, following Graham Marsh (1977), Greg
Norman (1988) and Peter Lonard (2005).
"It's fantastic winning here and it's great to keep
it in Australia," Baddeley said. Enditem
(Agencies)
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