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Charles Schwab Challenge 2020: Harold Varner III Leads by 1 Stroke After Round 2
June 13, 2020
Two days into the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge, Harold Varner III is still in the top spot on the leaderboard.
After finishing his first round at seven under par Thursday, Varner (-11) entered the clubhouse Friday with a round of four under to take a one-stroke lead over Jordan Spieth (-10) and Bryson DeChambeau (-10).
Spieth hasn't won a tournament since the 2017 British Open, but he has notched victories in two out of the last three times he's shot 130 or better through 36 holes—as he did on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas, just outside his hometown of Dallas.
Here's a look at the full leaderboard as the tournament moves into the weekend:
1. Harold Varner III (-11)
T2. Jordan Spieth (-10)
T2. Bryson DeChambeau (-10)
T4. Rory McIlroy (-9)
T4. Xander Schauffele (-9)
T4. Collin Morikawa (-9)
T7. Justin Thomas (-8)
T7. Justin Rose (-8)
T7. Gary Woodland (-8)
T7. Branden Grace (-8)
T7. Daniel Berger (-8)
Full leaderboard available at PGATour.com
Recap
Varner's day started off about as poorly as possible with a triple bogey off the first tee at the 10th hole.
It did not take the 29-year-old long to regain his form. The East Carolina product notched birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 and ended his round with birdies on five of the last six holes to shoot a 66 overall.
His quick recovery offered a study in contrasts as Thursday's third-place finisher, Jhonattan Vegas, bogeyed his first two holes of the day and finished with a 74, 10 strokes more than he needed on Day 1.
Vegas drop 44 spots in the standings all the way to a tie for 47th and needed a long birdie putt on his last hole to ensure he'd make it to the weekend.
As far as recoveries go, no one can claim a more wild comeback on a single hole Friday than Gary Woodland.
The 2019 U.S. Open champion sliced his tee shot at No. 9 well into the rough, leaving him 193 yards from the pin. He was separated by both a tree line and a water hazard—with two sand traps sitting behind the green for good measure. Woodland decided to attack the hole anyway and pulled off a miraculous shot that allowed him to clean up with a birdie.
It was the type of luck Rory McIlroy could've used on No. 8 to sink a birdie putt that just rimmed out. Overall, McIlroy will have little to complain about after a round with six birdies, an eagle and just one bogey.
As he searches for PGA Tour victory No. 19, the Northern Irishman is in prime position to make a move up the leaderboard Saturday.
He'll have to knock Varner out of first place to do so, and there's been little indication the Ohio native will be easy to move past.