He Has Makings of a Bright Star

Aaron Baddeley is 10 strokes behind leader Charles Howell III entering the final round of the Nissan Open and he will not be playing in the same group with Tiger Woods, but you can bet he will have a significant gallery today at Riviera Country Club. And don’t be surprised if most of those following him are teenage girls.

Baddeley is a 22-year-old Australian who could pass for the lead singer in a boy band. His bleached-blond hair and offbeat wardrobe -- which Saturday included a pair of tight, bright, shiny red pants -- have quickly made him the heartthrob of the PGA Tour. As he lined up a putt on the 18th green Saturday, a fan yelled to ask if he was single. As he walked out of the clubhouse scoring room, a mob of young women swooned. When he finished a post-round practice session and walked off the driving range, dozens of female autograph seekers surrounded him.

“It’s cool,” said Baddeley, who shot one-over-par 72 Saturday. “It’s funny sometimes. I just take it in my stride sort of thing. I mean, I’m out there to play golf and win, not to try and impress all the girls. That’s not my priority.”

That he’s a pretty good golfer doesn’t hurt. He already has a second-place finish this season, when he lost a playoff to Ernie Els in the Sony Open. Els made a 55-foot birdie putt to win. Baddeley averages 293 yards off the tee and ranks 39th on tour in putting average.

Baddeley, who has a penchant for fast play, first gained recognition when he won the 1999 Australian Open as a 19-year-old amateur. He was the youngest to win that tournament, then he defended the title the next year. Expectations for continued success skyrocketed, but Baddeley didn’t immediately deliver. He failed to earn a PGA Tour card and played the Buy.com Tour last year, finishing 10th on the money list.

“He played awesome down there,” said countryman Stuart Appleby, a three-time PGA tour winner. “That’s going to give him confidence, and confidence is very important out here. If you have that in your early 20s, then eight years later you’re going to be a star out here.”

In some circles, Baddeley already is a star.

His wardrobe, from the same designer as Howell and Jesper Parnevik, is a big reason for his appeal to the opposite sex.

“He looks so yummy in those tight clothes,” said Jill McKenzie, 18, of Manhattan Beach, echoing comments heard from girls all over Riviera.

And what does he think about all the attention?

“I enjoy when people are out there hooting and hollering after you and supporting you and backing you up,” Baddeley said. “The American people have been great, they really have, but don’t get me wrong, I’m very focused on what I’m doing. When I’m at the course, that’s all I’m really worried about.”

As far as the wardrobe selection for today, when he tees off at 9:20 in a group with David Duval and Brian Gay, Baddeley would offer only a hint.

“I’ve got some brights coming out,” he said. “I’ll just say that.”