Webb Simpson was 36 feet away from potentially winning $10 million.
Only the golfer who needed to make a putt of that distance on the last hole of the Tour Championship wasn’t Simpson. It was Aaron Baddeley.
Their fates were intertwined in a real-time way that only something as complicated as the FedEx Cup playoffs points system could create.
Because Simpson finished 2 over and in 22nd place, Baddeley had no chance to win the playoffs. However, if Baddeley could make the putt, get into the playoff and win the Tour Championship it would ensure that Simpson would win the playoffs. So, watching from the players’ lounge, Simpson had a keen interest as Baddeley read the green.
“I was just trying to win, just to win,” Baddeley said.
He put a good stroke on it, but the ball veered off in the final few inches. He tapped in for par, finishing 7 under and ending Simpson’s chances of the gargantuan deposit.
Bill Haas’ victory over Hunter Mahan in a playoff meant Simpson finished second in the points standings. He still pocketed $3 million in bonus money in addition to more than $5 million in winnings this year, including two victories in the past five weeks. The energy spent seemed to affect his play.
“A little disappointed I didn’t play any better, but I’m pretty tired right now,” Simpson said. “It’s kind of shown in my golf game this week.”
Both players controlled their fates at some point during the week: Simpson, as the top seed, needed only to win the tournament to win the playoffs. Baddeley, seeded No. 27, needed a lot more help, including winning the tournament and hoping Simpson finished 23rd or worse.
Baddeley slowly worked his way up the leaderboard throughout the week as Simpson ping-ponged around, until Baddeley became the third-round co-leader with Sunday’s final tee time, and Simpson started tied for 15th, knowing he may need help to win.
“It was kind of weird,” Simpson said. “Lot of mixed emotions I haven’t gone through before.”
Baddeley started steadily, parring the first five holes until a bogey on six.
Playing a few groups ahead, Simpson was doing everything possible to throw away the millions of dollars with back-to-back bogeys on 11 and 12. He rebounded with back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 to move back to 3 over on the day, 2 over on the tournament and back into the points lead.
As Simpson was righting his game, Baddeley hit his approach shot on 8 to within a few feet. He hit the birdie putt to move into the lead at 9 under. Mahan missed his to stay at 8 under.
Baddeley continued his good play by crushing a drive on the par-5 ninth, putting himself in perfect position to extend his lead.
However, he hit his second shot through the green and couldn’t advance his third shot more than a few feet. His chip went several feet past the flag and barely avoided rolling into a bunker.
He missed the par putt, carding a bogey that dropped him into a tie with Mahan and Haas for the lead at 8 under. It also dropped Simpson from the top of the points standings.
Baddeley added bogeys on 11 and 16, in which he missed short par putts, but still had a chance on 18 to make something happen for himself, as well as Simpson.
“Two short misses on the back nine cost me,” he said. “That was the golf tournament. Make those two short ones, I win.”
About the Author
