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Baddeley ties for eighth in Puerto Rico

Aaron Baddeley has tied for eighth after shooting an even-par round of 72 at the Puerto Rico Open.

Aaron Baddeley, of Australia.
Aaron Baddeley has tied for eighth after shooting an even-par round of 72 at the Puerto Rico Open. (AAP)

Aaron Baddeley could only muster an even-par final round 72 at the Puerto Rico Open as any hopes of a rare PGA Tour victory evaporated with a pair of opening bogeys on the back nine.

After being in contention throughout the tournament where he was chasing his first PGA Tour win since the Northern Trust Open in 2011, Baddeley had to settle for a tie for eighth.

His nine-under par total of 279 was three shots behind Americans Steve Marino and Tony Finau, who both shot two-under in the final round to force the playoff eventually won by Finau.

The Melburnian began his round with birdie on the challenging opening hole but gave one back to the course with a disappointing bogey on the next hole, the par-five.

He birdied the ninth before bogeys on 10 and 11 halted his run. A birdie on the last hole proved too little too late.

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Rod Pampling and Cameron Percy settled for a tie of 26th after finishing on five-under, four shots ahead of Cameron Percy.

Finau and Marino went shot for shot in the playoff with the former sinking his third straight birdie on the par-five 18th playoff hole to end the deadlock, after missing a putt in regulation that would have secured victory.

"I think I'm still a little bit overwhelmed," Finau said. "It probably hasn't all sunk in.

"In regulation, it was a putt that I kind of dreamed of making my whole life.

"It's a putt that you practise for your first PGA Tour victory or just for any PGA Tour victory, so I was a little bit bummed that that sneaked by the hole because I hit a really good putt.

"I tried to just stay in the moment really. That's what I learned from last year. You can never look too far ahead and you can't look back, either.

"You've got to focus on the here and now. I did a really good job of that today even though that putt slipped by in regulation for the win, I knew I still didn't lose the tournament.

"I needed to refocus and get ready to play 18 again. That's what it takes out here I feel like to win. And now that I have that feeling, it's pretty special."


3 min read

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Source: AAP



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