He followed up with a flawless playoff hole, including the tournament-winning putt. But, as Spieth has demonstrated in the past, winning begets winning. “A year ago I was missing the hole by a foot and it’s been getting closer and closer to going in”.
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“You have so many good memories here, lots of good shots, putts made, so it definitely helps when you go back to a course that you’ve played well at and have got such good memories at like here”, Baddeley said.
“To hit those two shots in there (today), right where I wanted to hit them, and then make the putt is really big going forward”.
But Spieth was humbled upon learning that legends Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player won the Australian Open six and seven times when it was regarded as golf’s unofficial fifth major in the 1960s and 70s.
In a sizzling back-nine charge, the world number seven picked up six shots with an eagle and four birdies to soar up the Australian Open leaderboard and move back into contention for the Stonehaven Cup.
Spieth might trail Ogilvy after 54 holes, but he’s been in this spot before.
Two more birdies at the 12th and 13th brought him to within one shot of the lead and, as Ogilvy crumbled behind him, another after a lengthy putt at the 16th proved sufficient to get into the playoff. “I’m happy, said Hall after the playoff loss. I’ve got a couple young kids, so I have to keep money flowing in”. He shot 30 on his back nine on Friday, and the 2009 victor said he must play aggressively on Saturday.
Joining them at the 146 Open will be Aaron Baddeley who received the final exemption after he finished tied 4 on 10-under the card alongside Jason Scrivener, Rod Pampling, Ryan Fox and Geoff Ogilvy.
Ogilvy made the most of the favourable early morning conditions to go out in a red-hot 6-under 30 courtesy of birdies at the first, second, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth holes.
China’s Shanshan Feng eyes third straight win at LPGA Tour finale (read here): Shanshan Feng maintained her red-hot form on Thursday as she opened up the first round of the CME Group Tour Championship with a round of 66 for a one-stroke lead.
The birdies dried up after the world number five turned into the wind for the back nine, however, and he missed the green with his approach shot then three-putted for the double bogey at the 15th.
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“I had a chance past year on 18 (to force a playoff) and didn’t hit a great putt and this time I had that same chance with a very similar putt in the playoff and capitalised so I drew back on that a little”.
