Brett Rankin didn’t think life could get any better than when his beloved Brisbane Lions won the AFL grand final yesterday.
Until he became a world champion.
Rankin, 38, rammed in a seven-metre birdie putt to win a three-way, sudden-death playoff at Binalong today to become the inaugural World Sand Green Championship winner.
“This might be the best weekend of my life,” the affable Queenslander said with the broadest of smiles. “I was already buzzing about the footy, then to have this, I can’t believe it.
“I think I’m going have to change the résumé and all the socials to say world champ. I think I might even get that ‘Champ is here’ thing from Muhammad Ali to play when I go and see the boys.”
Rankin, who began his round in the second-last group at four-under and two shots off the lead, appeared the likely winner when he leapt to the top before the turn as those in the final group stumbled.
But just as he failed to take advantage of some key scoring opportunities midway through the back nine, Victorian Andrew Kelly caught fire ahead with birdies on the 15th, 16th and 17th holes to cap a magnificent course-record 63 to reach nine-under.
Momentarily, a Cinderella story involving Yass amateur Robbie Furner also appeared a possibility, but his birdie attempt from off the back of the 18th green narrowly missed and he signed for eight-under to the thunderous applause of the huge local gallery.
But Rankin steadied behind and he and playing partner Samuel Slater, also of Queensland, each birdied the 17th to reach nine and eight-under, respectively.
The powerful Slater hit a huge drive almost 100 metres left of his target coming up the final regulation hole and it didn’t appear much better when his second could only get back to within 25 metres of the green. But needing a birdie to join a possible playoff, Slater pulled off the miracle as his third fell in on the last roll to bring the house down.
Rankin missed what would have been the winning birdie putt, but made no such mistake in the playoff from a similar position minutes later.
“This course is great. It really makes you think and hit some shots that require a bit of imagination which I really like,” Rankin said.
“I had an amazing week out here, I really loved it, everything about the sand greens. And to cap the whole thing off by doing that in a playoff, it’s just amazing.”
Furner and Dillon Hart shared fourth, one shot back, while Matt Dowling, Adam Brady and Blake Windred finished tied for sixth at seven-under.
