Golf: Teenage champ craves greatness

SYDNEY - Eighteen-year-old Australian amateur golfer Aaron Baddeley showed why he is spoken of as potentially one of the game's greats by winning the $A1 million ($1.25 million) Australian Open at Royal Sydney yesterday.

Touted as Australia's answer to American Tiger Woods and Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Baddeley displayed nerves of steel to become the youngest winner of the tournament which used to be called the "fifth major." He was the first amateur to win since Bruce Devlin in 1960.

The young Victorian sent galleries into a frenzy - never relinquishing his overnight lead to challenges from professional golfers with years more experience.

His 3-under 69 yesterday gave him a 14-under total, leaving him two shots clear of compatriots Greg Norman and Nick O'Hern.

His greatest challenger was New Zealander Michael Long, who moved to within one shot of the lead when he birdied the 13th to move to 12-under.

But Long could not sustain his challenge, dropping a shot by the end of the round to tie for fourth with Ireland's Paul McGinley.

As an amateur, Baddeley is not entitled to any prizemoney, leaving more for Long ($A52,000) and fellow-Kiwi Michael Campbell ($A32,000), who charged home to finish seventh after a slump early in his final round.

Campbell, who led after two rounds, dropped to 6-under at the turn before four birdies on the back nine lifted him to 278.

Perth-based Long's 1-under was his worst round of a consistent week.

"I was rapt that no one was really charging ahead because it took me a while to get going," said Long.

His four birdies yesterday were countered by three bogeys, all on par-threes.

"I didn't actually play the par threes that badly but my irons just landed in the wrong spot and that was it really. There's no doubt I would have taken a tie for fourth when I flew in on Wednesday morning. But after getting so close today, I'm disappointed I just couldn't hold it."

Baddeley punched the air with joy and was hugged by parents Ron and JoAnn after tapping in for par to a roar on the 18th.

He had been confident after each of the first three rounds, and echoed those sentiments after receiving the trophy.

"I believe in my own ability. I thought I could win today and I played reasonably well and it was good enough," said Baddeley, who has boundless ambition.

"My goal is to become better than Tiger [Woods]. If Tiger's the best player in the world, then I have to be better than Tiger."

But he still had time to reflect on what he had achieved in heading the quality field.

"To finish on top of this list of guys is a dream come true. I started thinking about doing this two months ago and now it's happened. I can't believe it."

The youngster birdied the opening hole and sank a 6m putt for eagle on the par-five seventh. By hole 10 he had a three-shot buffer over playing partner Colin Montgomerie before some chinks appeared in his driving game and he bogeyed 12 and 14 to give the surging Long a sniff.

But a birdie on the easy par-five 16th was enough to create the two-shot buffer he held until the end.

"After the bogey on 14 I knuckled down and made sure I got par. Then some good putts over the next couple of holes really gave me confidence."

The anticipated challenges of Montgomerie and Norman never eventuated.

Montgomerie's iron play deserted him through the middle of the round while Norman ran into a brick wall when he was forced to drop out of a creek on the ninth.

- NZPA