Harold Varner III Tops Stacked Colonial Leaderboard
The Charles Schwab Challenge had the buzz of a major championship leading up to the PGA Tour‘s restart following its suspension on March 12 at the conclusion of the first round of the Players Championship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the weekend at Colonial arrives, the leaderboard resembles a major with a ‘who’s-who’ of marquee names on the first page.
“I think the leaderboard speaks for itself,” Justin Thomas said. “I looked up there at one point and I did notice that there was a lot of big names up there, not that everybody playing isn’t a big name, but some of the top players in the world, so I think that that’s a testimony to a good course and a good setup, so hopefully we’ll give them some fireworks this weekend to watch at home.”
Harold Varner III followed up his opening round 63 with a triple bogey on his opening hole (he started on No. 10) but battled back to fire a 66 that included five birdies in his last six holes. He now sits at 11-under and will take a one shot lead into the third round at Colonial.
“Obviously not the start I wanted, but it’s just a part of golf,” Varner III said. “If I would have tripled the last, it would have added up to the same. It’s a great opportunity going into the weekend.”
Jordan Spieth shot his second consecutive 65 to join Bryson DeChambeau at 10-under, one shot out of the lead.
The 2016 Colonial champion was on fire with eight birdies, but hit a speed bump at the beginning of the famed Horrible Horseshoe (holes 3, 4 and 5) with a double bogey on No. 3 and a bogey on No. 4 followed by a birdie on No. 5, the hardest hole on the course.
“I played a really, really solid round of golf with a kind of 20-minute hiccup for a couple holes, and with eight birdies around this place, it’s nothing to complain about,” Spieth said. “I’m obviously very pleased with the position I’m in after two rounds.”
Rory McIlroy followed up his “uneventful” opening round with a 63 that included six birdies and an eagle to put him in a tie for fourth and in contention for the weekend.
“This is a golf course that’s always let the best players rise to the top,” McIlroy said. “You have to be in complete control of your game, hit fairways, hit greens, convert some putts, and yeah, the leaderboard is a who’s-who of golf right now. I’m just happy to be in the mix.”
Collin Morikowa and Xander Schauffele join McIlroy at 9-under.
Justin Thomas, the No. 4 player in the world, fired a second round 68 after his opening round 64 and remains in striking distance for a win his Colonial debut.
“I played a lot better than my score. I putted really, really well, just nothing went in for me,” Thomas said. “I had a lot of putts that died off on the low side and hit some lips, burned some edges, but that’s just a part of it. I feel like I was really close to shooting a really good low round and having a lead going into the weekend, but I’m in a good place and that’s all I can ask for right now.”
First round co-leader Justin Rose, winner at Colonial in 2018, shot a 1-under 69 and sits at 8-under.
U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland joins Thomas and Rose at 8-under.
FedEx Cup points leader Sungjae Im is in a tie for 19th at 5-under.
Brooks Koepka, the runner-up to Rose in 2018 in his only Colonial appearance, is 4-under and in a tie for 25th.
Notables who missed the cut and have the weekend off include Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Max Homa, Jason Day, Webb Simpson, Ryan Palmer and defending champion Kevin Na.
