Aaron Baddeley was reciting a Bible verse to himself as he stepped up to the seven foot putt that gave him his breakthrough victory on the US PGA Tour."This is for you Jesus", he thought as he struck the putt which rolled sweetly into the hole.
The former teenage phenomenon of Australian golf has become a young man of deep religious faith, so much so that he wants to become an Assembly of God preacher during his golf career.
But faith in himself has been well tested as Baddeley battled to fulfil the high expectation produced by his bright start in a fickle sport.
The victory by one stroke from Jim Furyk in the Heritage Classic at Hilton Head gave Baddeley his first title in 103 US tour starts.
It's been more than five years since his last win at the Greg Norman International in Sydney, and even longer since those 1999 and 2000 Australian Open titles.
"I feel like I've been out here forever, and I'm only 25," said Baddeley after donning the garish plaid winner's jacket and becoming the fourth Australian winner on the tour in 2006 after Stuart Appleby, Geoff Ogilvy and Rod Pampling.
"I've been playing PGA Tour events since I was 18 and it does feel like a long time, but it's definitely worth the wait."
Ranked 199 in the world, Baddeley won a tense head-to-head final round duel with fellow overnight leader Furyk, shooting one-under-par 70 to win at 15-under 269, collecting $A1.31 million and a two-year tour exemption.
He jumped out with three birdies in his first five holes, fell back to level with bogeys at the seventh and eighth and was two shots down after a bogey at the 11th.
But Baddeley then showed his mettle by birdieing two of the hardest holes on the PGA Tour - the 14th was statistically the hardest par 3 on Tour last year and the 15th was the hardest par 5 - to move in front for good.
At the last Furyk missed his 12 foot birdie putt and Baddeley used his faith to help shut the door with his par.
"I was reciting from 2nd Timothy 1:7 which is 'God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and a sound mind.' "I kept repeating power, love and a sound mind. "I had a nice read on the putt and said to myself ' This is for you Jesus', and then I knocked it in."
"I was very peaceful today," said Baddeley. "I knew I trusted my golf swing, and I think it showed."I definitely feel that a little weight has been lifted ... this is a stepping stone to a bigger picture, and I'm going to learn a lot from today."
Baddeley had started the day by telling an Easter morning congregation of 400 people by the 18th green about his faith, his childhood and the expectations he'd struggled to meet, admitting he'd underachieved in golf.
Much has changed for Baddeley since he won his first Australian Open as an 18-year-old amateur at Royal Sydney.
Long-time coach Dale Lynch was swapped for renowned swing guru David Leadbetter and this year he's been working with Pennsylvania-based Andy Plummer.
On Saturday, he celebrated his first wedding anniversary with wife Richelle, an American and fellow devout Christian.
After winning he said the turning point had come back in 2002, when he'd been relegated to the lesser Nationwide Tour where he finished 10th in the money list after securing three runner-up spots.
"I was on the Nationwide Tour, not where I wanted to be," he said. "I wanted to be on the PGA Tour. But that was the best year of my life.
"In 2000, I got invited to the (US) Masters, the US Open, several tournaments. And in September of that year, I wanted to quit.
"Two years later, the difference was more or less my relationship with the Lord. My friends could see how excited and how much fun I was having, my demeanour."
Good onya mate!
