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NORTHERN TRUST OPEN


February 15, 2012


Aaron Baddeley


PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA

MARK STEVENS:  We'd like to welcome our defending champion of the Northern Trust Open, Aaron Baddeley.  Aaron, if you want to talk about your thoughts coming back and defending this year and then we'll take a few questions.
AARON BADDELEY:  It's always great to be able to come back somewhere where you've won before because you have so many great memories of the shots that you hit the previous year and the putts you made.  It's definitely exciting to come back and sort of relive those moments.  It's going to be a fun week.
MARK STEVENS:  You just got done playing the course.  Do you want to talk about the conditions and if you've seen any changes from last year.
AARON BADDELEY:  Yeah, the course looks in great condition.  It's nice and firm, so hopefully it doesn't rain too much this afternoon.  The weather forecast looks pretty good, so hopefully the course will stay nice and firm.
A couple of the changes I think are great.  I think 5 looks like it's always been there.  They did a really good job on 5 green.  The 2nd tee I think really doesn't make a whole lot of difference.  The 6th tee, it's a couple yards longer, but not a huge change there, either.  I think the changes are good, very subtle but good.

Q.  It's early similar to last year.  You had a good finish at Pebble and you did that last year and obviously won here.  Do you feel you're on the same projection?
AARON BADDELEY:  The game sort of feels like the same position, the whole game does really.  Not really working on anything in my game, just sort of maintaining and trying to hit golf shots, sort of trying to play the game.  Excited for where the game is at, feels real good, so hopefully we can keep the same thing going as last year.

Q.  And last year winning here was sort of the real kick‑starter for you having a pretty massive year in your books.  I think you moved up over 200 spots in the World Rankings last year alone.  Good to be back where you are, and obviously now you've got goals to go even higher?
AARON BADDELEY:  Yeah, definitely last year was a huge stepping‑stone this week, so it would be nice to have that same stepping‑stone this year to have the same sort of results, if not better.  Last year I was a little disappointed in the majors, so that's definitely a bigger goal this year is to play well in the majors.  Definitely helps me having already been exempt for them so you can prepare properly.
I'm excited for this week and the year.

Q.  You mentioned those majors.  We talked previously already this year, we looked at your performance in majors compared to other weeks.  Just looking at cuts alone, you had made a lot of cuts on the PGA TOUR but not so much in majors.  What are you going to do differently this year leading into those?
AARON BADDELEY:  Maybe take a little different mindset, you know.  This year going to Augusta I have a couple different ideas what I'm going to do, that I'll not going to say, but I've got a couple ideas when I go there.  I think that's going to help.
And then also I guess just being more comfortable with my game is going to be a big difference.  I've got a better understanding of my game and how to make it or keep it progressing and getting better.  I feel like where my game is at I'm going to be in good stead this year.

Q.  One of the things you said to me yesterday, too, is you're not actually defending here in a way.  Can you explain what you mean by that?
AARON BADDELEY:  Yeah, my old coach, Dale, he said that when you go to a tournament you've won and that you're defending, you're never actually defending because they can't take that title off you.  You're just coming to win another tournament.  It's a new event, it's a brand new week.  It's just about trying to win another golf tournament as opposed to trying to stop people from taking your crown.

Q.  And the benefits of being a champion here, I guess, is you're going to be in a marquee group, you've sort of got things working for you with your mates Bubba and DJ.  Is everything sort of falling into place for you?
AARON BADDELEY:  Yeah, definitely, I haven't played with Bubba for a while, so I'm excited to play out here with him.  We play a fair bit back in Scottsdale together.  It'll be weird not playing in carts when we play together.
But no, it'll be a good time.  I enjoy playing with both of the guys, both DJ and Bubba, so I think it's going to be a fun couple days, and we'll see if we can all shoot good scores.
MARK STEVENS:  Thanks a lot, Aaron.  Have a good week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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