Aaron Baddeley was gutted to have blown his chance to win the Memorial Tournament on the back nine on Sunday but still came away with plenty of belief in the lead up to the US Open.
Baddeley started six shots off the lead and after a three under front nine was in a tie for third place with a chance to mount some pressure.
But he blocked his tee shot on the 10th and sent the ball soaring on the breeze out of bounds, watching his chances float away on the wind.
“It is disappointing to be right there with a chance and not come through,” Baddeley said.
“I knew the back nine was going to play tough for everyone and two or three under on the back would have put a lot of pressure on and put me right there.”
The Victorian ended up in a solid tie for ninth, just his second top 10 of the year, but was seven shots behind Tiger Woods who claimed his 73rd US PGA career win and fifth Memorial title.
While obviously disappointed Baddeley took some solace in the fact he contended, despite not playing anywhere near his best.
He hit just 53 per cent of fairways and 57 per cent of greens in regulation for the week but led the field in scrambling. He was also second in putting – good signs ahead of the US Open where scrambling pars make or break results.
The year’s second major begins on June 14 at Olympic Club in San Francisco.
“Overall it’s good because I feel like I had my B game at best this week so to be in contention and finish in the top 10 is a really good result,” Baddeley said.
“It is good to feel like I don’t have to be at my absolute best to have a chance to win where in the past I have felt like I did.
“I can certainly take confidence from my scrambling. I putted nicely all week and my short game was good.
“I almost holed a few bunker shots and I hit some great wedge shots. Wedges will be important at Olympic because you are likely to be forced to lay up sometimes if you miss fairways and need to get close to save par, so it’s all good stuff.
“I like tournaments where par means something, they are my favourite events. I like having to be patient and grind it out and obviously a US Open is like that.”
Several Australians will make a last ditch effort to qualify for the US Open in sectionals across the USA on Monday including PGA tour regulars Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Greg Chalmers, Bryden Macpherson, Rod Pampling, Marc Leishman, Nick O’Hern, Mathew Goggin, Gavin Coles, Nathan Green and Matthew Jones.
Baddeley, Adam Scott, Jason Day, John Senden, Geoff Ogilvy and Brendan Jones are the only Australians already in the field.