Baddeley has close shave in Barbasol win
Aaron Baddeley made a 24-foot putt on the fourth hole of a playoff with Si Woo Kim to win the Barbasol Championship Sunday at Grand National.
Baddeley broke into a celebratory run off the green, tossed his club in the air and flung his cap back onto the green after his fourth PGA Tour victory. The Australian secured a two-year exemption and a spot in the PGA Championship, but not the Masters.
Both parred the first three holes of the playoff, three on 18 and the third on 17.
Woo parred 18 again after Baddeley already clinched his first win since the 2011 Northern Trust Open.
Baddeley finished with a 5-under 66 to match Kim at 18-under 266. Kim shot a 63, closing with a bogey.
Woo, a 21-year-old South Korean, sent his approach down a slope into the rough between two grandstands on the fourth playoff hole. He chipped to 5 feet but Baddeley closed it out before Woo finished.
Woo had a two-stroke lead before a bogey on the 18th hole after putting within 9 inches on his par attempt. Baddeley parred to force the playoff.
The weather turned steamy after a light drizzle on the final regulation holes.
Former Auburn University player Michael Johnson finished a stroke back after a 65 in his first professional tournament, a few miles from campus. He just missed a potential birdie putt on his final hole that would have landed him in the playoff.
Locally, Steve Wheatcroft finished tied for 20th at 12-under par.
Ko wins Marathon LPGA event: Lydia Ko outlasted Ariya Jutanugarn and Mirim Lee to win the Marathon Classic for her fourth LPGA Tour victory of the season.
The top-ranked Ko made a 10-foot birdie putt on the fourth extra hole after Jutanugarn and Lee ran into trouble on the par-5 18th.
Also the 2014 winner, Ko closed with a 2-under 69 at Highland Meadows to match Jutanugarn and Lee at 14-under 270. The 19-year-old New Zealander has 14 LPGA Tour titles.
Ko is 4-1 in playoffs, with the loss coming to Brooke Henderson this year in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Ko missed a 5-footer birdie putt on the third extra hole, sending the trio back to the 18th tee. Jutanugarn had chances to win on the first two playoff holes, missing birdie putts of 14 and 8 feet.
Lee shot a 65, bogeying the 18th after making birdies on Nos. 13, 15, 16 and 17.
Locally, Waynesburg’s Rachel Rohanna finished tied for 61st at 4 over par.