LOS ANGELES — Aaron Baddeley raised his arms when his last putt dropped into the cup Sunday in the Northern Trust Open as his wife and two young daughters came over to share the moment.
They might have been among the few cheering him on at Riviera.
Baddeley could hear chants of “Freddie!” at every turn, and it got louder when Fred Couples birdied the opening three holes to take the lead. Unfazed, Baddeley cared only about a victory that was just as meaningful to him.
“I thought Freddie was going to be tough today because winning is a skill, and Freddie has been winning quite often recently,” Baddeley said.
In a battle of generations, the 29-year-old Australian made his best putt after his only big mistake and closed with a 2-under-par 69 to hold off Vijay Singh and Couples and win for the first time in four years.
Baddeley (12-under 272) wound up with a two-shot win over Singh, who turns 48 on Tuesday. The big Fijian closed with a 69. Couples, 51, bogeyed two of the last three holes and shot 73 to tie for seventh in his bid to become the PGA Tour’s oldest winner in more than 35 years.
Langer sets record.
Bernhard Langer shot a 6-under 66 to set a tournament record with a 20-under 196 to win the ACE Group Classic in Naples, Fla., by four shots.
Fred Funk had a chance to make the final hole a little interesting but missed a short birdie putt on No. 17 and finished with a 66 for 16-under. India’s Chowrasia wins.
Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia of India earned his second professional win at the Avantha Masters in New Delhi, shooting a 5-under 67 for 15-under 273 and a one-stroke victory over Robert Coles.
Tseng continues roll.
Top-ranked Yani Tseng earned her third tournament win in three weeks, shooting a 6-under 66 to pull away for a comfortable five-shot victory over Michelle Wie in the LPGA Thailand in Pattaya.
Tseng had the lowest score of the day with seven birdies and one bogey to finish at 15-under 273.
The Associated Press
