Golf
Michael Collins, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Aaron Baddeley feat nothing 'normal'

Golf

Aaron Baddeley's tee shot on the par-4 17th Thursday at the Valero Texas Open would have been the second hole-in-one on a par 4 in PGA Tour history had he only taken a mulligan.

Baddeley still made an almost statistically impossible birdie on the hole en route to a 68, which put him a shot back of leader Charley Hoffman after the first round at the TPC-San Antonio.

"Well the finish was pretty normal," Baddeley said afterward to reporters, getting a laugh.

The Australian's first swing, from the tee of the easily reachable 336-yard par 4, went wildly left.

"I was thinking of gripping a 3-wood or hit a cut driver, and I don't know, I went with the cut driver," Baddeley said. "(Instead) I hit a pulled draw in the middle of the trees." 

After deciding to take an unplayable penalty, the 34-year-old walked back to the tee.

Baddeley said he then decided not to try and pull off the shot he attempted the first time.

"No ... the next one I tried to choke up a little bit on the driver and hit it straight." the three-time PGA Tour winner said.

After hitting the errant first shot, he was able to gather himself and deliver the shot of a lifetime. 

"I just said to myself, it was just the wrong shot. Hit a straight one," Baddeley said. "It was straight downwind, get it going straight, it will go straight. So I hit -- and I hit the second one, man. Why didn't I do that the first time? And it rolls up and goes in." 

Andrew Magee holds the distinction of recording the only hole-in-one on a par 4 in PGA Tour history, in 2001 at the TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.

Magee's ball ricocheted off the putter of another pro that was on the green and went in.

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