KAEC-SAUDI-ARABIA – Harold Varner III of the USA pictured on Saturday, February 5, 2022 during round three of the US$ 5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers. The event is staged from February 3-6, 2022, at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
HAROLD VARNER III HAS WON THE SAUDI INTERNATIONAL AFTER ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE FINALE'S TO AN EVENT EVER SEEN, AS THE CONTROVERSIAL TOURNAMENT CAME TO A STUNNING CONCLUSION BY THE RED SEA ON SUNDAY. ONCE AGAIN THE WIND HOWLED IN THE AFTERNOON AND PROVIDED MORE DRAMA THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT, WITH BIRDIES, BOGEYS, DOUBLE BOGEYS AND EAGLES FLYING IN FROM ALL OVER AND A STUNNING COMEBACK FROM A 2-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION TO BOOT.
THE MUCH LAMENTED TOURNAMENT IN SOME QUARTERS REACHED ITS FINAL DAY WITH THE 2-TIME SAUDI INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION DUSTIN JOHNSON STILL IN THE HUNT FOR A THIRD TITLE IN THE SAUDI DESERT, UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE FORMER WORLD NUMBER ONE A FINAL ROUND OF 70 WAS ONLY GOOD ENOUGH FOR A TIE FOR 8TH POSITION, HIS LOWEST EVER FINISH IN THE TOURNAMENT AFTER TWO WINS AND A RUNNER-UP FINISH.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD, PLAYING IN THE FINAL GROUP, COULD NOT SUSTAIN A CHALLENGE FOR THE TITLE SEEING HIS HOPES ENDED BY 5 BOGEYS ON THE BACK NINE ON SUNDAY, ALSO FINISHING IN A TIE FOR 8TH PLACE, SOME 6 SHOTS BEHIND THE WINNING SCORE. AUSTRALIA'S CAMERON SMITH COULD NOT MUSTER A SERIOUS CHALLENGE ON SUNDAY EITHER, ALTHOUGH A ROUND OF 69 IN THE HIGH WINDS IN THE AFTERNOON WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO SEE HIM FINISH IN A TIE FOR FOURTH PLACE WITH AMERICAN MATTHEW WOLFF.
SO IT SEEMED THE BATTLE FOR THE TITLE WAS SET TO BE BETWEEN 2 PLAYERS - HAROLD VARNER III AND ADRI ARNAUS. HOW WRONG WE WERE TO THINK THAT AS BUBBA WATSON CAME STORMING THROUGH THE FIELD WITH A REMARKABLE FINAL ROUND. STARTING 6 SHOTS BACK OF THE OVERNIGHT LEAD WATSON CAME FLYING OUT OF THE TRAPS WITH A FRONT NINE OF 30 FEATURING 5 BIRDIES BUT HIS HOPES SEEM TO BE EXTINGUISHED AFTER A DOUBLE-BOGEY AT THE 11TH AND A BOGEY AT THE 14TH LEFT HIM 4 SHOTS BACK WITH 4 HOLES TO PLAY.
HOWEVER, HAROLD VARNER III, WHO SEEMED ON COURSE FOR A VICTORY, MADE A DOUBLE-BOGEY AT THE 14TH AND THEN A BOGEY AT THE 16TH AND SUDDENLY THE 2-TIME MASTERS CHAMPION WAS VERY MUCH IN WITH A CHANCE. WATSON DROVE INTO THE GREENSIDE BUNKER AT 17 AND THEN SPECTACULARLY MADE EAGLE AT THE 18TH TO SET TO THE CLUBHOUSE TARGET AT 12-UNDER-PAR. VARNER HAD GONE FROM BEING IN CONTROL TO NEEDING A MIRACLE TO TAKE THE TITLE.
GOLF DOESN'T USUALLY DEAL IN MIRACLES. BUT ON THIS SUNDAY IN SAUDI ARABIA WE HAD ONE.
VARNER REPLICATED WATSON'S BIRDIE AT THE 17TH TO GIVE HIMSELF A CHANCE OF A PLAYOFF WITH A BIRDIE AND AN INCREDIBLE VICTORY WITH AN EAGLE. HE PUSHED HIS DRIVE TO THE RIGHT, FINDING THE ROUGH AND HIS APPROACH CAME UP SHORT OF THE GREEN SOME 120 FEET FROM THE HOLE. NEEDING TO GET UP AND DOWN TO FORCE A PLAYOFF IT LOOKED VERY MUCH LIKE BUBBA WATSON WAS GOING TO LIFT THE SAUDI INTERNATIONAL TROPHY. INCREDIBLY, UNBELIEVABLY VARNER ROLLED HIS PUTT INTO THE CENTRE OF THE HOLE ON A PUTT WHICH HAD OVER 10 FEET OF BREAK, UP AND OVER A HILL WITH THE WATER LURKING BEYOND.
THE ASSEMBLED CROWD IN THE STANDS AROUND THE 18TH WENT WILD AND VARNER AND HIS CADDIE HUGGED PASSIONATELY, CELEBRATING A TRULY REMARKABLE MOMENT. THIS WEEK MAY HAVE BEEN ALL ABOUT THE STAR NAMES IN THE WORLD OF GOLF PAID VAST SUMS TO PLAY IN THE TOURNAMENT, BUT FOR VARNER THIS VICTORY IS CAREER-CHANGING.
THE MUCH LAMENTED TOURNAMENT IN SOME QUARTERS REACHED ITS FINAL DAY WITH THE 2-TIME SAUDI INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION DUSTIN JOHNSON STILL IN THE HUNT FOR A THIRD TITLE IN THE SAUDI DESERT, UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE FORMER WORLD NUMBER ONE A FINAL ROUND OF 70 WAS ONLY GOOD ENOUGH FOR A TIE FOR 8TH POSITION, HIS LOWEST EVER FINISH IN THE TOURNAMENT AFTER TWO WINS AND A RUNNER-UP FINISH.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD, PLAYING IN THE FINAL GROUP, COULD NOT SUSTAIN A CHALLENGE FOR THE TITLE SEEING HIS HOPES ENDED BY 5 BOGEYS ON THE BACK NINE ON SUNDAY, ALSO FINISHING IN A TIE FOR 8TH PLACE, SOME 6 SHOTS BEHIND THE WINNING SCORE. AUSTRALIA'S CAMERON SMITH COULD NOT MUSTER A SERIOUS CHALLENGE ON SUNDAY EITHER, ALTHOUGH A ROUND OF 69 IN THE HIGH WINDS IN THE AFTERNOON WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO SEE HIM FINISH IN A TIE FOR FOURTH PLACE WITH AMERICAN MATTHEW WOLFF.
SO IT SEEMED THE BATTLE FOR THE TITLE WAS SET TO BE BETWEEN 2 PLAYERS - HAROLD VARNER III AND ADRI ARNAUS. HOW WRONG WE WERE TO THINK THAT AS BUBBA WATSON CAME STORMING THROUGH THE FIELD WITH A REMARKABLE FINAL ROUND. STARTING 6 SHOTS BACK OF THE OVERNIGHT LEAD WATSON CAME FLYING OUT OF THE TRAPS WITH A FRONT NINE OF 30 FEATURING 5 BIRDIES BUT HIS HOPES SEEM TO BE EXTINGUISHED AFTER A DOUBLE-BOGEY AT THE 11TH AND A BOGEY AT THE 14TH LEFT HIM 4 SHOTS BACK WITH 4 HOLES TO PLAY.
HOWEVER, HAROLD VARNER III, WHO SEEMED ON COURSE FOR A VICTORY, MADE A DOUBLE-BOGEY AT THE 14TH AND THEN A BOGEY AT THE 16TH AND SUDDENLY THE 2-TIME MASTERS CHAMPION WAS VERY MUCH IN WITH A CHANCE. WATSON DROVE INTO THE GREENSIDE BUNKER AT 17 AND THEN SPECTACULARLY MADE EAGLE AT THE 18TH TO SET TO THE CLUBHOUSE TARGET AT 12-UNDER-PAR. VARNER HAD GONE FROM BEING IN CONTROL TO NEEDING A MIRACLE TO TAKE THE TITLE.
GOLF DOESN'T USUALLY DEAL IN MIRACLES. BUT ON THIS SUNDAY IN SAUDI ARABIA WE HAD ONE.
VARNER REPLICATED WATSON'S BIRDIE AT THE 17TH TO GIVE HIMSELF A CHANCE OF A PLAYOFF WITH A BIRDIE AND AN INCREDIBLE VICTORY WITH AN EAGLE. HE PUSHED HIS DRIVE TO THE RIGHT, FINDING THE ROUGH AND HIS APPROACH CAME UP SHORT OF THE GREEN SOME 120 FEET FROM THE HOLE. NEEDING TO GET UP AND DOWN TO FORCE A PLAYOFF IT LOOKED VERY MUCH LIKE BUBBA WATSON WAS GOING TO LIFT THE SAUDI INTERNATIONAL TROPHY. INCREDIBLY, UNBELIEVABLY VARNER ROLLED HIS PUTT INTO THE CENTRE OF THE HOLE ON A PUTT WHICH HAD OVER 10 FEET OF BREAK, UP AND OVER A HILL WITH THE WATER LURKING BEYOND.
THE ASSEMBLED CROWD IN THE STANDS AROUND THE 18TH WENT WILD AND VARNER AND HIS CADDIE HUGGED PASSIONATELY, CELEBRATING A TRULY REMARKABLE MOMENT. THIS WEEK MAY HAVE BEEN ALL ABOUT THE STAR NAMES IN THE WORLD OF GOLF PAID VAST SUMS TO PLAY IN THE TOURNAMENT, BUT FOR VARNER THIS VICTORY IS CAREER-CHANGING.
“Awesome. Still – it’s been pretty crazy since it happened,” said Varner, who has won once before, in the 2016 Australian PGA Championship, the year he started playing regularly on the PGA Tour.
“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. I’m super thrilled not just for myself, but everyone that’s either on my team or in my corner.
“They know who they are so I don’t have to thank them. They know who they are. My mom’s already called. Yeah, I’m pumped.”
THE 50 OWGR POINTS EARNED FOR VICTORY COULD MOVE THE 31-YEAR-OLD INTO THE WORLD'S TOP 50. THIS WILL SECURE A PLACE IN THE WGC-DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP, POTENTIALLY THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP AND IN APRIL, THE MASTERS. FOR WINNING THE SAUDI INTERNATIONAL VARNER III GETS A 5-YEAR EXEMPTION TO THE ASIAN TOUR, AND POTENTIALLY, BARRING PGA TOUR SANCTIONS, HE WILL BE A STAR NAME IN THE FIRST SEASON OF THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES, LAUNCHED BY THE ASIAN TOUR THIS WEEK.
THE TRULY STUNNING CLIMAX TO THIS TOURNAMENT WAS TESTAMENT TO A FABULOUS COURSE SET-UP AND THE CONDITIONS, ALONG WITH A STRONG FIELD. IT WAS VINDICATION FOR THE ASIAN TOUR AND LIV GOLF INVESTMENTS IN PRODUCING A DRAMATIC EVENT WHICH CAN INSPIRE PEOPLE ACROSS ASIA TO TAKE UP THE GAME OF GOLF AND WATCH THE ASIAN TOUR.
SHANK'S MAJOR FEATURE - GIVING THE GAME A SHEIKH UP: THE BATTLE FOR THE FUTURE OF GOLF - IS COMING SOON.
