Sport: Local Amateur wins Australian Open
Sunday, 28 November 1999 19:16
18-year-old Australian amateur Aaron Baddeley defied some of the biggest names in golf today to win the Australian Open. Baddeley triumphed by two strokes at the Royal Sydney golf course to become the youngest winner of the tournament. He is also the first non-professional to win the title since Bruce Devlin in 1960. The Victorian teenager, the overnight leader going into Sunday's final round, finished with a 3-under-par round of 69 for a 14-under total of 274.
He led by three strokes at the turn and although he fell back to lead by two he went on to beat five-times champion Greg Norman and fellow Australian Nick O'Hern on 12-under.
Ireland's Paul McGinley finished three shots behind the youngster in a tie for third with Colin Montgomerie and New Zealander Michael Long.
