Golf: Varner swoops with late eagle to grab Saudi International title by a shot over Watson
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Harold Varner III with the trophy after winning the Saudi International in King Abdullah Economic City, north of Jeddah, on Feb 6, 2022.
PHOTO: AFP
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KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, SAUDI ARABIA (AFP, REUTERS) - Harold Varner III sank an eagle putt from off the last green on Sunday (Feb 6), to wrest victory in the Saudi International from American compatriot and friend Bubba Watson by one shot.
The twice Masters champion started the day six shots off the pace but was outstanding in tough, windy conditions. He shot a 64 which finished with a birdie on the 17th hole and an eagle following a monster drive on the par-five 18th.
That gave him the clubhouse lead at 12-under 268 with overnight leader Varner still on the course.
Varner was two over for the day as he came to the 17th, but the 31-year-old matched Watson's birdie on the par-four penultimate hole to edge back to within one shot of the lead.
A play-off looked imminent when Varner missed the green with his second shot from the right rough on the 18th.
Varner was off the green and 92 feet, or 28 metres, from the hole, but he opted to putt and the ball tracked straight into the cup.
Varner, ranked 99th in the world, finished the round on one-under 69 for a 13-under 267 total and his first win since the Australian PGA Championship in December 2016.
"It's been pretty crazy since it happened. I'm just trying to take it in. Winning just never gets old. I just know that there's been times where it just didn't go my way and today it did," Varner, who took home a US$1 million (S$1.35 million) cheque, told reporters.
"(The eagle putt) was awesome. Obviously that it went in kind of helped. When I was coming down the hill, I for sure - worst case scenario, we'll go to a play-off and I'd get him there. And then it went in, and emotions came out."
Watson, who Varner considers one of his closest friends on the Tour, rushed from the scoring tent to hug the new champion, even though it meant that his own title drought continued.
The 43-year-old's last win was at the 2018 Travelers Championship. He won the Masters title in 2012 and 2014.
"(There was) less wind today. And then I knew it was going to be a battle. So I told myself if I could somehow shoot - I made a double bogey on 11 - one under the rest of the way, the last seven holes would get me probably a top five," said Watson.
"I made the eagle (on the 18th), and I looked up and saw I had a two-shot lead. Then I thought I had a great chance, but obviously he pulled out a shot better than me to win. So it was a crazy back nine and a fun back nine."
Spaniard Adri Arnaus, who started the day one shot behind Varner, had snatched the lead with a chipped-in eagle on the par-four seventh hole, but could not get going after that.
A birdied helped him finish on one-over 71 in solo third place at 10-under 270.
England's Steve Lewton (69) was the highest-placed Asian Tour member at nine under and tied fourth alongside Australian star Cameron Smith (69).
Former world No. 1 and the 2021 champion Dustin Johnson (70) was in a tie for eighth place at seven under with Briton Tommy Fleetwood, who endured a difficult day with a three-over 73.
