Varner leads as McIlroy charges in PGA return at Colonial
LOS ANGELES: Harold Varner overcame a triple-bogey start to maintain the lead at the halfway stage of the Charles Schwab Challenge on Friday (Saturday in Manila) as the hard- charging Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth appear poised to strike.
Varner, one of three black players in the top 200 in the world rankings, fired a four-under-par 66 at Colonial Country Club to reach 11-under 129 after 36 holes in the US PGA Tour’s return event after a three-month shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I have learned a lot about myself through adversity. America is going through adversity right now so it is pretty eye-opening,” said Varner, later referring to protests against the death of George Floyd, a black man killed recently as he was detained by white police officers.
Jordan Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau are tied for second, one stroke back after a second consecutive 65s, while world number one McIlroy fired a 63 to join Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele sharing third on 131.
England’s Justin Rose and American Justin Thomas are tied for seventh.
This week’s Charles Schwab Challenge is full of firsts, the biggest change being the absence of spectators.
Players have to undergo temperature screenings, regular Covid-19 testing and practice physical distancing.
The field includes 15 of the world’s top 20 players, but some bigger names from outside of North America skipped it because traveling to the United States would mean two weeks of quarantine.
After an opening 63 to match Britain’s late- starting Rose for the first- day lead, Varner took a seven at the par- four 10th hole to begin his second round, soaring off the tee and finding a bunker and rough before reaching the green.
Varner bounced back with birdies from 4 feet at 11 and 10 feet at the par- three 12th and parthree 16th holes.
After a bogey at 18, Varner closed with a flourish that started with a 31-foot birdie putt at the par-three fourth. He made three more in a row, the last a 20-footer at seven, and closed with a 10-foot birdie putt at the ninth.
The Tour is also holding a moment of silence every round at 8:46 a.m., marking the time — 8 minutes 46 seconds — George Floyd spent pinned down by a white police officer kneeling on his neck.