Northern Trust Open: Baddeley birdies, Couples bogeys

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This isn’t the way Fred Couples wanted the back nine to start during the final round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.

Couples hacked and whacked his way around the par-four 10th hole and bogeyed it to fall to eight-under par. Aaron Baddeley made a birdie seem routine and has now opened a three-shot lead on the field at 13-under.

Vijay Singh is second at 10-under and Robert Allenby, an Australian just like Baddeley, is third at nine-under.

So far Baddeley shows no signs of nerves or fatigue or anything but confidence in his swing and in his course management. While he’s three-under on the day, his two playing partners, Couples and Kevin Na, are a combined three-over so far.

-- Diane Pucin