THE AUSTRALIAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Where: Royal Pines, Gold Coast (par 72, 6717m)
When: Thursday to Sunday
Defending champion: Harold Varner III (US)
Prize money: $1.5 million
Trophy: Kirkwood Cup
Field: 156 players
WHO TO WATCH
Adam Scott: Seeking to avoid what would be just the second winless calendar year in his career, Scott has slid back to No.31 in the world. His planned use of the long putter will be one of many interesting subplots at Royal Pines
Marc Leishman: The top-ranked Australian in the field was awarded the Greg Norman Medal this week as the country's best golfer after two wins on the US PGA Tour. Has a swag of top 10 finishes at the Australian PGA, including fourth in 2009.
Sergio Garcia: The Spaniard finally broke through for his first victory at a major at the 2017 US Masters - one of three wins for him this year after two decades bubbling under the surface. Will add a sprinkle of stardust in a rare visit to Australia.
Harold Varner III: After a mediocre campaign in the US, the popular 27-year-old from Ohio is back in what he says is his happy place. Varner is the defending champion and knows the course very well.
Cameron Smith: Fresh from a fourth-placed finish at the Australian Open last week and his maiden US PGA tour win earlier this year, the Queenslander is one of the favourites to take out his home state tournament and is one of the country's most in-form players.
MOST WINS
6 - Kel Nagel (1949, 54, 58, 59, 65, 68)
5 - EW Dunk (1962, 66, 71, 74, 76)
4 - Dan Soutar (1905, 06, 07, 10); Norman Von Nida (1946, 48, 50, 51); Robert Allenby (2000, 01, 05, 09)
3 - Carnegie Clark (1908, 09, 13); Horace Henry Alfred Pickworth (1947, 54, 55); Peter Lonard (2002, 04, 07); Peter Senior (1989, 2003, 2010)
