AAP
Aaron Baddeley's slim chances of contending at the US PGA Tour's season-opening Tournament of Champions flew away with the weight of his three-wood during the third round.
While realistically the Victorian was at best a long-shot at the Plantation Course, losing the weight out of the bottom of a key club mid-round ensured he had no chance to catch runaway leader Steve Stricker.
Baddeley fired a mediocre one-over par 74 to sit in a tie for 21st at two-under - a mammoth 17 shots behind Stricker at 19-under.
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While Stricker couldn't repeat his round two 10-under-par heroics, a four-under 69 was enough to preserve a five-shot lead over fellow Americans Webb Simpson (69) and Jonathan Byrd (67) plus Scotsman Martin Laird (67), who all sit at 14-under-par.
Stricker finished with a flurry to create a nice final-day buffer, birdieing each of his final four holes after being even-par through 14 holes.
The late assault has been a common theme in Hawaii for the consistent American, who is 13-under over the final five holes across three rounds.
"I stayed patient and stole one with a chip in on 16," Stricker said.
"But I felt like things would turn my way and they did.
"I knew it would be tough today. When you are leading a golf tournament it is hard to keep the momentum and I felt like everyone was coming after me. But I had a good finish which was nice.
"But there is still one more day and it's not over yet."
Baddeley's round was reminiscent of the rolling surf at nearby Honolua Bay - his bogeys and birdies came in waves.
He started poorly with two early bogeys but was rocking again with three birdies before the turn.
Then his three-wood deserted him on the 10th tee.
"It was a tough start and I made some soft errors but I battled back and then my three-wood broke," Baddeley said.
"The epoxy came loose and I saw something shoot off out of the corner of my eye. At first I thought I lost the head off the club but it was the weight.
"I found it which is good but we couldn't fix it on the course."
Baddeley appealed to the rules officials to be allowed to replace the club and was initially granted permission but was then denied following further discussion.
He then closed with four further bogeys and just two birdies to sound the death knell on his assault.
"It's not the reason I won't win here but it definitely cost me a few shots as I needed it a few times," he said.
"I was disappointed I couldn't swap it out as it was changed but they said because it was still a conforming club I couldn't change it."
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