When Harold Varner III got a triple bogey on the opening hole of his second round at the Charles Schwab Challenge, it was a turning point.
Varner III exemplified his leadership qualities, never giving up amidst adversity.
He shot seven under his remaining 17 holes, with eight birdies on his card.
As he holds the 36-hole lead heading into the weekend, Varner III is a leader off the course, fighting for racial equality.
Started his day with a triple bogey.
Ended his day with 5 birdies in his last 6 holes.@HV3_Golf leads by 1 @CSChallengeFW after a strong finish to Round 2. pic.twitter.com/akWQrxlFiO— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 12, 2020
“It’s pretty cool that the TOUR is doing that,” Varner III said to reporters after his second-round regarding the PGA Tour’s moment of silence to honour the late George Floyd. “But when you’re out there you’re just so in the moment. I was just trying to make a birdie.”
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As the PGA Tour returned to action this week, the backdrop of racial inequality cannot be ignored. With protests sweeping North America in support of anti-black racism, the PGA Tour is attempting to turn the conversation into action to enhance the game’s diversity.
Varner III is leading that charge.
He was one of the first pro golfers to speak publicly about George Floyd’s death. The 29-year-old spoke with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan on the lack of diversity that is present in the game. In his home state of North Carolina, Varner III launched the “HV3 Foundation” to “give back to less fortunate kids that could greatly benefit from increased access and opportunity in sport.”
There is a lot of of beauty and love in this world. I pray for equality & social justice as we all so desperately deserve that in this day and age. I pray for humanity even more because regardless of color, WE need each other to make that change. Stay safe. Love you guys ✊🏿✊🏽✊🏻 pic.twitter.com/LrFEff94IF
— Harold Varner III (@HV3_Golf) June 1, 2020
Varner III, along with Tiger Woods, is the only black player within the top 200. He earned all of his success through hard work and determination. He persevered through the eGolf and Florida tours, before earning his PGA Tour card in 2015. His first professional win came in 2016 on the European Tour at the Australian PGA Championship.
Glimpses of consistency in his game came at the 2019 PGA Championship, where Varner III was tied for second after 36 holes. Despite playing in the final group with eventual champion Brooks Koepka, he shot 81, knocking him out of contention.
Varner III is improving his ability to follow up a bad hole with a good one. Giving himself solid looks after the triple bogey put him in a position to generate birdies.
“You just can’t live in the past,” Varner III said. “It’s not a great place to be and it’s hard to learn from there. I’ve grown up a lot off the course, so it makes it easy to make good decisions that prepare you a little bit better for on-the-course stuff.”
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With a 63 and 66 in his opening two rounds, it is the lowest 36-hole score of Varner III’s career. He aims to become the first golfer since Sergio Garcia in 2009 to win his first PGA Tour event at Colonial Country Club.
A victory for Varner III means more than just winning a golf tournament. It allows his platform of playing golf to continue to raise awareness of his advocacy efforts off the course.
“The platform I have is through golf,” Varner III said to Yahoo Sports’ Dan Agnew on Thursday. “So I know playing well is part of that, so you’ve got to focus on the most important thing, and that’s playing well.”
