The Serve

Baddeley admits to almost quitting

New Australian Masters champion Aaron Baddeley has again paid homage to his faith, admitting it saved his career when it was at its lowest ebb.

“I can honestly say if it wasn’t for my faith and having a relationship with Jesus, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here today,” Baddeley said.

“Back in 2000 was when I really felt like it, I told my Dad I wanted to quit.

“Golf was just too hard, I was homesick to come back to Australia, things were just too difficult.”

Baddeley exploded onto the golfing scene when he won the Australian Open as an amateur in 1999, quickly turning professional. Dreams of a hot run in America quickly turned to dust, as a string of missed cuts reduced the young Baddeley to a mess.

The passionate and outspoken Christian, who says on his website that if he had not succeeded as a golfer he would have wanted to be a travelling evangelist, credited his faith with keeping him in the game.

“I won (the Australian Open in 2000) again, but honestly I was sick of it anyway, I didn’t want to play, I can honestly say that.”