It seems like destiny for Aaron Baddeley.
Seventeen years after claiming the 1999 Australian Open as a teenage amateur, Baddeley is again in the final group chasing unexpected glory at Royal Sydney.
The 35-year-old hit a five-under-par 67 on Saturday to join fellow Victorian Geoff Ogilvy in Sunday's last round.
Baddeley will start two strokes behind Ogilvy and hopes to draw on positive memories from his historic 1999 Open victory, when he fended off Greg Norman while playing in the last group with Colin Montgomerie.
Baddeley became the first amateur to lift the Stonehaven Cup since Bruce Devlin in 1960, then defended his crown in stylish fashion at Kingston Heath.
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"It would be pretty cool to win here - 17 years later ... that would make it super special," Baddeley said.
Etching his name of the trophy for a third time - and at Royal Sydney before the famous layout is redesigned by Rio Olympic course architect Gil Hanse - would made Sunday even more nostalgic for Baddeley.
"It would be pretty special," he said
"You have so many good memories here with lots of good shots and putts made.
"It definitely helps when you've gone back to a course you've played well at and have such good memories and it sounds like they're going to change the golf course.
"I'm pretty sad about that, to be honest."
