Varner wins Saudi event with freak putt

Cameron Smith has been left disappointed at his fourth place finish in the Saudi International - but American Harold Varner III was left celebrating the most extraordinary of victories.

Varner, who hadn't won an event in five years, sank an extraordinary near 30-metre putt off the fringe of the final green to make eagle and snatch a one-stroke victory from a disbelieving Bubba Watson.

It was an amazing finale with the 31-year-old American barely able to believe that he'd sunk the putt when he would have been happy just to get down in two at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club to force a playoff with his compatriot.

Watson had finished his brilliant final round of six-under 64 with an eagle himself to set the clubhouse lead.

However, a 69 from Varner got him to 13-under 269 and enough to bring the former Australian PGA champion the biggest win of his career and a $US900,000 ($A1.3 million) winner's cheque.

For Smith, his last-day push for victory amid the desert near Jeddah followed the path of much of his week -- excellent approach play only to be let down, unusually, by his putting in the windswept conditions on the banks of the Red Sea.

He recorded a one-under 69 to finish on nine under in joint-fourth, one shot adrift of third-placed Spaniard Adri Arnaus (71).

"I played really solid, just felt like I struggled on the greens all week," Smith, who won the opening event of the US PGA Tour season in Hawaii last month, said.

"I was hitting good putts but I just couldn't get them to drop this week.

"It's disappointing - I came pretty close but that's golf.

"I loved the experience here, the course is great but it's really tough when the wind gets up."

Like everyone else, Smith was left astonished by Varner's incredible