Harold Varner knows how to make friends and influence people. After charming the Royal Pines galleries all week, the newly crowned Australian PGA Championship winner filled the Joe Kirkwood Cup with champagne and demanded assembled journalists come and take a sip.
The American visitor was lucky to escape unscathed from the stampede, although he was in just as much of a hurry to get back to the casino and take care of some unfinished business at the blackjack table. Two hands before his round would prove costly.
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On the course on the Gold Coast, though, fortune would favour his brave approach. An unrelenting hunt for birdies in treacherous, breezy conditions saw him produce a blistering round of 65 that left his main rivals in various stages of awe.
World No.7 Adam Scott produced a 67 of his own but could make no headway, finishing third at minus 15. Overnight leader Andrew Dodt fought gamely with a three-under 69 but couldn't say with Varner late as the 26-year-old rattled off the last of his nine birdies on the par-four 17th.
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It was a breakthrough moment for one of world golf's most intriguing young talents. His moderate stature saw the Cleveland native seek golf over basketball or baseball but he rips the ball as far as almost anyone on tour.
This was his first victory outside the lesser tours and he now heads into his second full year on the American PGA Tour with wind in the sails. A hearty embrace from Scott near the scorer's tent and another from friend and course designer Graham Marsh was testament to the goodwill around his win.
Varner almost did the job last year at this event, losing a play-off to Nathan Holman. This time, he refused to let it get to that stage, playing heart-stopping, aggressive golf from the first tee. He rolled the dice and collected.
"I'm super excited. After last year, it feels good to come back and finish it off. This is my first win since the mini-tour. It's a step in the right direction," Varner said.
"[But]Â I'm ready to get to the casino. Nobody told me about the other stuff that comes along with winning, which I'm totally cool with. There might have been 1000 pictures out there. It's been a blast. I can't wait to come back."
Varner might enjoy a flutter but he has given up another vice during tournaments. He won't have even a social drink while in the midst of an event, although there was the unescapable feeling some catch-up would be played on a balmy Sunday night at the beach.
"It won't be Powerade, Coke or water," Varner said when asked about the liquid of choice when he follows tradition and fills the winner's trophy.Â
"When I played the mini-tour, I didn't drink at all during tournaments. I don't know if that's been the big difference. I know it's miserable gambling and not having a drink. It might have paid off ... I don't know if that was the reason.
"But I'm going to fill it with champagne to answer your question."
Scott actually had his best round of the week but he needed Varner to blink. It didn't happen, although Scott goes into an extended break at his Gold Coast home happy with his body of work.
"It was my best round of the week and it wasn't good enough unfortunately," Scott said. "But I kept myself in it for most of the day and they just played better. I think I did what I could today but yesterday's back nine is probably the costly one.
"They just played better this week."
There will be no rest for Dodt, who jets off straight to Hong Kong and hopes to keep his hot streak alive. So does Varner, for that matter.
"I got a bad beat [at the blackjack table]. It's not good but we're going to go back today. I'm still even. Ya'll would say that's good but I want to rob them."
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