Aaron Baddeley Interview – After 2000 Australian Open Win – Interview by Peter Donegan
not a blemish until the final goal that aside it’s over and Aaron [Applause] Badley is the Holden Australian Open champion for the second successive year this time though as a professional an outstanding achievement as he rewrites the record books [Applause] as Bruce said only one other person Carnegie Clark has achieved the feat a relieved family embracing their brother and a son and a grandson well those of us lucky enough to be at Kingston Heath today have seen a truly remarkable performance in Australian sport aaron Battley congratulations thank you very much how do you feel right at this very moment is it relief is it joy what’s going through your body i guess it’s a bit of both really uh defending this week was a was a um big big ask and I played very well for the whole week and and also just great to be able to to walk away with the trophy like just unbelievable when did you begin setting yourself for this week about 5 weeks ago I guess uh the golf swing wasn’t quite where it where it needed to be i sat down with with with Dale and um we went through the through the swing we said “All right got 3 weeks till Japan a week off and then Strand Open we want to be ready for Japan refine it and a week off and then play the Strand Open.” And um and the goal was to win it and uh I did even as late as Wednesday though when you had a practice round here everything still wasn’t as you’d like it i played very good on the pro on the pro and then just sort of dropped off on the Wednesday so I knew it wouldn’t take that long to get back and I I worked hard in the range after the practice round and then and then went went back home hit some balls in the net as well and just to make sure it was right and came out Thursday and played very solid what about today mate four 4 and a/4 hours did it seem like an eternity out there today or did it go quickly no it went pretty quick actually cuz we didn’t really wait on any shots until until 17 until 18 really so it was um it was pretty good out there it was uh just sort of flowed along just tried to focus on my own own shots h my own putts and and I think I think I did that very well today did you block out what Robert was doing and what the gallery was doing around you and everything sort of associated with you yeah pretty much i just tried to play my own game out there hit my own golf shots hit and hit in the fairway hit on the ground and hold a part and that’s that’s what I tried to do and I think I did it very well when you made the double bogey any moments of doubt creeping into your mind or was it important that you still remain positive i just I was two up two to play i thought I just hit a good good three down there if we make birdie here where we should be fine and hit great a great eight ir in there and then hold the part and it was um yeah was I was pretty happy when that went in and you must have been happy when they gave you the check for 225,000 as well bit different to last year yeah definitely it’s a definitely Definitely a lot nicer to um get a check than just a medallion what’s the difference between the Aaron Battaly we spoke to 12 months ago to the one that we’re speaking to today i guess experience i’ve been through a lot this year haven’t played great uh struggled with the game uh went to a different different tour different golf courses uh different lifestyle just getting used to things and that experience is invaluable and and I’m a better player for that what about all the comparisons that people inevitably make you know saying you’re the Australian Tiger i mean those comparisons are basically pointless you’re Aaron Battley exactly and all I got to do is work as hard as I can practice work in the gym make sure everything I do is is as good as it can be and and hopefully one day I’m I’ll be better than Tiger and finally with four Victorians at the top of the leaders board and I can tell you that mom and dad aren’t too far away from where we are right at the minute what did it mean to win the Australian Open Championship in your hometown with your mom and dad looking on words don’t describe it like had mom and dad had my family out here heaps of friends it’s just special
