Eleven players were within three shots of the lead down the stretch on Sunday, setting up for a thrilling finish along the South Carolina coast.
Jordan Spieth claimed the 2022 RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head after a one-hole playoff with Patrick Cantlay for the 13th win of his career.
Spieth was first in the clubhouse, posting a number at 13 under following an impressive Sunday 66 aided by two front-nine eagles. The 28-year-old Texan was one shot behind Lowry, who immediately made double bogey on the 14th to give up the lead to Spieth.
Just minutes later, Sepp Straka rammed in a putt for birdie on the 17th to briefly tie Spieth before falling back to 12 under with a bogey on the last. Cantlay made a birdie of his own on the par-3 17th to tie Spieth and then missed a 12-footer for the win on 18, forcing a playoff at 13 under.
This is Varner’s first outright 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Harold Varner III counts many courses among his favorites on the PGA Tour.
Harbour Town Golf Links is not one of them.
“Every tee shot is super uncomfortable, especially when it’s windy, and I’ve hit it out of bounds everywhere here,” he said. “Last year, first hole, I hit it out of bounds. It’s just hard off the tee.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m always kind of guiding it out there, but if you can guide it out there for 72 holes, you can do some damage.”
Well, his inner GPS was working just fine as Varner did some serious damage Saturday in the third round of the RBC Heritage. With not a single blemish on his card, Varner shot 8-under 63 to take a one-shot lead; it’s his first outright 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour.
With rounds of 67-72-63, Varner sits at 11 under as he tries to win his first PGA Tour title; he won the Saudi International earlier this year and won the 2016 Australian PGA Championship. While he may be “super uncomfortable” at Harbour Town, his past two starts are not indicative of that. He tied for second last year and six of his last seven rounds around Harbour Town have been in the 60s.
It speaks to Varner’s growing skill on the golf course.
“That’s what the best players do, I think,” he said. “They play well everywhere, whether they like it or not.”
Varner is one clear of Shane Lowry (65), Erik van Rooyen (67), and overnight leader Patrick Cantlay (70). Hudson Swafford (66), Matt Kuchar (67), Sepp Straka (67), and Aaron Wise (68) are two back at 9 under.
The fear ahead of the round was that Cantlay, the reigning FedEx champion and winner of four events last year, would run away and hide. But his momentum was stalled with four bogeys. He regained some momentum with a final-hole birdie.
“It had some good, it had some not so good, but I’m in a really good spot for tomorrow,” Cantlay said. “I’m obviously right there. I think always finishing under par for the day is a little bit of a momentum builder. Glad not to stall out or go backwards.”
Lowry went forward – just not as much as he thought he should have.
“Without complaining too much, 65 is the worst score I could have shot,” Lowry said. “I hit the ball unbelievable today, and I didn’t really hole anything. That putt on the last (9 feet) is probably as long as I’ve holed all day.
“It was getting quite frustrating for a while, but I hit it in pretty close a couple of times and made a couple of nice birdies. It was really nice to birdie the last and get myself into double digits for the tournament.
“I would have taken 65 before I went out. Another Sunday in the position I want to be in, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Shane Lowry of Ireland plays his shot from the 18th tee during the third round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 16, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Everyone looked forward to play Saturday as light winds and softer conditions were on tap after the slugfest that was Friday’s second round when winds whipping off the nearby sea battered players and their scorecards.
With the course yielding and players in attack mode, the field average was 3.5 strokes better in the third round than in round two.
While Varner has won twice around the world, he remains driven and is still working as hard as he can to gain his first PGA Tour title. He’s proven he can win on other tours, now he wants to prove he can win on the best tour.
“The best thing that I can do is just run my course, like this is my journey,” said Varner, who is 31. “It’s just weird I’m getting old. When people say, oh, you’ve been out here this long and you haven’t won, I’m like, oh, really. So it surprises me sometimes, but I just think I’m getting closer every time.”
“When you’re on the golf course, it’s time to compete.”
The story of Morgan Hoffmann’s return to competitive golf dominated the early storyline at the RBC Heritage. In his first PGA Tour appearance in 2 ½ years, Hoffmann fired an even-par 71 on Harbour Town Golf Links, showing few ill effects of the Muscular Dystrophy he was diagnosed with five years ago.
But while his colleagues on the Tour were happy to see the former Oklahoma State star and former No. 1 amateur in the world back in action, once the first shot was played any tenderness was quick to wear off.
In fact, playing partner Harold Varner III, fresh off a top-25 finish in his Masters debut, shed light on the cutthroat mentality Tour players need to maintain. Varner was asked if he noticed any changes in Hoffmann’s swing since he’d last seen him play.
The answer was vintage and unedited HV3.
“I did not, but I’m not a very aware person, never have been. I’m out there to beat Morgan.” Varner said. “I don’t really care. … I get that he’s been through a lot, but everyone on this planet’s going to go through something, and that’s his battle. My battle may come down the road later.
“When you’re on the golf course, it’s time to compete. I want to win. I don’t know. That’s kind of messed up, but it is what it is.”
Varner, who fired a 67, also said he was glad to see Hoffmann and added that the former Walker Cupper still has game. When asked about Hoffmann lagging behind the group off the tee, Varner added that he’s not worried since Hoffmann — whose best finish on Tour was a T-2 at the Honda Classic in 2017 — used precision iron play to stay in the hunt.
“He hit his 5 iron close to where I hit my 8-iron, so I don’t think it really mattered. If you were watching the whole round, I know on No. 3, I outdrove him by 30 yards, but he hit it to four feet and I’m sitting there at 20, 25 feet,” Varner said of Hoffmann.
“That’s what makes the game so beautiful. He knows how to hone in on what he needs to do to play well.”
There were no signs of Hoffman’s battle against an incurable disease.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – If one didn’t know the fascinating tale of Morgan Hoffmann, he or she would have had no idea watching him play golf in Thursday’s first round of the RBC Heritage that he was diagnosed in 2017 with muscular dystrophy.
They would have seen no hints that the disease had savagely attacked the former muscle-bound, world No. 1 amateur’s body and sent him worldwide in search of alternative cures involving non-conventional and ancient treatments, a journey that led to his current residence in the jungles and mountains of Costa Rica, where he lives with his wife, three dogs, two cats and healthy doses of peace and purpose.
That some of the healing choices along the way included urine therapy, a diet of hundreds of grapes per day, potent hallucinogens – and plenty of meditation and surfing.
No, there were no signs of his daily battle against an incurable disease. Instead, they saw a happy, healthier Hoffmann fire an even-par 71 on Harbour Town Golf Links in his first action on the PGA Tour in 923 days.
Morgan Hoffmann plays his shot from the second tee during the first round of the 2022 RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
In his remarkable return, he had three birdies and three bogeys, at one time reaching 2 under. He’s still regaining more strength – he averaged 275 yards on the measured holes. He split the fairway on the first hole with his first shot and hit 80 percent of the fairways on the tight course he adores.
Ahead of his first round, he said he felt like a 12-year-old playing an AJGA event, that he just hoped to have fun and smile a lot. Mission accomplished.
“A lot of fun moments today,” he said. “I felt great. The first tee shot wasn’t as nerve-racking as I thought it would be. The game didn’t feel anywhere near as bad as I thought it was, so it was pretty exciting.
“I didn’t have really any goals of a score, I guess, per se, but I was just trying to hit it solid. I mean, 80 percent of (the shots) were decent enough. So I hit some balls on the range after, and I think I should have a good round tomorrow.”
Harold Varner III, who shot 67, played with Hoffmann and said he’s “still good at golf. It’s like riding a bike. Obviously it’s going to take a while to get the rust off, but it’s just good to see him.”
Hoffmann is playing on a medical exemption and has three starts to regain full playing status for the rest of the season. But right now he’s focused on Friday.
“I’m going to go kind of by the seat of my pants on this one, hoping that I play well. If I don’t get my card back in the three starts, hopefully get some sponsor’s exemptions for the rest of the year,” Hoffmann said. “If I don’t get sponsor’s exemptions, probably try to Monday (qualify) in a few.”
Hoffmann is eight shots behind pace-setting Cameron Young, who shot a bogey-free 63. Joaquin Niemann is at 65. Six players – Patrick Cantlay, Graeme McDowell, Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, Miro Pereira and Corey Conners – are at 66. Conners punctuated his round with an ace on the seventh hole – a 7-iron from 187 yards. It was his fourth ace in the past three seasons, the most of any player.
As for Hoffman, he isn’t back just to play golf. He hopes to raise awareness that non-conventional treatments can help people in search of improving health, that there are many paths to getting better. In 2017, Hoffmann and his wife established the Morgan Hoffmann Foundation to help the fight against muscular dystrophy. Their goal is to build a wellness center in Costa Rica, tentatively called Nekawa, which is awaken spelled backward.
“It was pretty surreal today, a lot different than the lifestyle I’ve been living the last 2½ years, and having people cheer your name out there, it’s very special,” he said. “Having the support and the media and getting that kind of focus on what we’re trying to build, the natural health and wellness center in Costa Rica, it’s going to be great. I’m really excited about the outcome and the building process.”
He’s excited about his game, too. He loves how he’s putting but knows he needs to get longer – repetitions will help in that area.
“I love this game so much,” he said. “It’s so difficult. I had a great time out there. I think the game’s closer than I thought, and it’s exciting. I’m pumped.”
We’re a few decades removed from the Foreigner’s heyday, the British-American rock band stringing together its share of hits during the late 1970s and much of the 1980s. Classic tunes such as “Juke Box Hero,” “Cold As Ice” and “I Want to Know What Love Is” remain favorites among tribute bands and revelers at karaoke bars.
One can neither confirm or deny the presence of such song selections on any of Harold Varner III’s music playlists. But I doubt the Gastonia, N.C., native and PGA Tour pro would argue the vintage rock band’s “Feels Like the First Time” fit the occasion last weekend.
An opportunity he’d long pursued, Varner participated in his first Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club from April 7-10. The product of Forestview High, just outside Charlotte, finished 3-over for the tournament, tying for 23rd.
A realist, Varner had few expectations of capturing a hallowed green jacket on his first attempt. But if there’s anything local folks have learned about him through the years, the Gastonia talent has an endless well of confidence.
Despite it being his first walk of the famed golf course at a competitive level, Varner seemed right at home between the junipers, magnolias and pink dogwoods of Augusta National. Particularly in the first two rounds of play, shooting consecutive 71s to place him only a few shots back of eventual champion Scottie Scheffler. It also earned him a seat next to ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt for a brief interview after finishing play on Friday.
Sergio Garcia watches as Harold Varner III hits his approach shot at no. 7 during the second round of The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Davis Tucker-Augusta Chronicle/USA TODAY Sports
A rough Saturday ended those pursuits, the pristine Georgia golf course introducing Varner to its dark side. He finished the day 7-over par, and 6 over for the tournament. A strong showing (3-under 69) during the final 18 holes allowed him to settle at 3-over in his first Masters Tournament.
A brand ambassador for Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan’s line of golf clothing and shoes, Varner has long looked the part. Blessed with a charming smile and quick wit, the 31-year-old Varner is quickly becoming one of the more likable players on the PGA Tour. Some of that may lie in the fact he speaks from the heart, not afraid to let one know exactly where he stands on matters great and small.
However, it’s as refreshing to find an emerging superstar interested in others as much as their own individual pursuits. Long an advocate for the advancement of golf among youths and teens, the work of Varner’s HV3 Foundation is to bring awareness to the rising cost of entry and access to sports.
Two weeks before accomplishing a lifelong dream, the PGA Tour pro welcomed 156 high school golfers from throughout the Carolinas to Gaston County as part of the third annual HV3 Invitational. Originally expected not to be in town due to obligations at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Varner flew in for the final round and an opportunity to hand the trophy to the winner of the event bearing his name.
“Growing up I experienced those same challenges first hand,” Varner said in the foundation’s mission statement. “I was incredibly fortunate to be able to join a youth program at my local municipal course that allowed me to play unlimited golf for $100 a summer. That $100 was not easy to come by, but was worth scraping together due to the access it afforded.”
Harold Varner III blows on his putter after finishing on No. 6 during the third round of The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran-Augusta Chronicle/USA TODAY Sports)
I’ve always believed one only gets from this life what they pour into it. While his God-given ability has taken him around the world and back, Varner doesn’t allow himself to stray too far from that little boy spending countless hours on putting greens at the old Gastonia Municipal Golf Course.
In one weekend, the masses were introduced to Varner not as one in a select few Black golfers on the PGA Tour, but also one with the ability to compete week in and week out. And with it, the opportunity to be a blessing to others as shown throughout his professional career.
It’s been a steady brew for Varner, one full of trial, error and growth. Hopefully, that beautiful concoction eventually results in a Tour win for the Gastonia native.
But in the meantime, a hashtag and two words will have to do — #WeHere.
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Joe Hughes writes for the Gaston Gazette, part of the USA Today Network. You can reach Joe at 704-914-8138, email jhughes@gastongazette.com and follow on Twitter @JoeLHughesII.
In a surprisingly loaded field, here are some sleeper picks this week at the RBC Heritage.
It’s Masters hangover week, there’s no way around it. However, the field for this week’s RBC Heritage is loaded, especially considering where this event lands on the schedule.
Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Players champion Cameron Smith and Jordan Spieth are just some of the names who have made the short trip from Augusta, Georgia to Hilton Head, South Carolina to take on the Pete Dye-designed Harbour Town Golf Links.
It’s the third consecutive year the tournament has had five or more top-10 players in the field. Not once in the in the previous 18 years did the tournament have five or more top-10 players.
Thomas is the betting favorite at +1200, followed closely by the 2021 Champion Golfer of theYear Morikawa, who is available at +1300.
Further down the odds list, however, there are some big names who offer great value. Let’s start with Tommy lad.
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There’s still one more automatic invite to the Masters on the line this week at the Valero Texas Open.
The field for the Masters has swelled by five.
Thomas Pieters (No. 34), Harold Varner III (40), Seamus Power (41), Russell Henley (42) and Cameron Young (47) are the latest to punch their ticket down Magnolia Lane to play in the first men’s major next week. That stretches the smallest field of the four majors to 91 players, and still includes Tiger Woods on the list of past champions planning to play.
Pieters and Varner didn’t have to sweat it out last week at the Dell Technologies Match Play as they had become virtual locks thanks in part to their respective victories in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia earlier this year. For Varner, 31, it will be his first appearance in the Masters.
The same can be said for Power, who won last summer and has continued a meteoric rise this season that included making the quarterfinals in Austin. Young, 24, is a graduate of the Korn Ferry Tour and used strong performances at the Sanderson Farms Championship in October and a runner-up finish at the Genesis Invitational to surge into the top 50.
Henley, who last won on Tour in 2017, is making his fifth Masters start after climbing inside the top 50 on the back of losing a sudden-death playoff to Hideki Matsuyama at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
The hard-luck losers are Cameron Tringale (No. 52), Richard Bland (53) and Alex Noren (57), who were left on the outside looking in. Bland, who lost to Dustin Johnson in the Round of 16 at the Match Play, tweeted his disappointment.
Unfortunately 3 places short 😏 #53. Need a win this week at The Texas Valero or Augusta to look on me kindly 🙏🏻 #masters
There’s still one more automatic invite to the Masters on the line this week. The winner of the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, if not already qualified, will be the last man in the field. The Masters begins April 7.
“When is winning a bad thing,” Varner said Thursday after his first round in the Players Championship.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Harold Varner III knocked in a 92-foot eagle putt on the 72nd hole to win the Saudi International in February and his instant crazy celebration became an instant classic.
But when he returned to the United States, something weird started to happen. He started seeing it on social media, sensing it elsewhere. Suddenly, Varner was going to go and play in the Super Golf League, the proposed circuit that would rival the PGA Tour and be funded the repressive regime of Saudi Arabia.
After all, Varner received a hefty appearance fee to play in the Saudi International, then took home a haul of cash for winning. That’s what some believed. Criticism was directed his way.
But Varner said all he did was win a tournament.
“When is winning a bad thing,” Varner said Thursday after his first round in the Players Championship. “My name went right to the top of the list.
“If I wouldn’t have won, no one would have talked about it.”
Varner was shaken a bit and said he felt “terrible” as the jet lag got to him and he missed the cut in the WM Phoenix Open. Things didn’t improve much as he also missed the cut the following week in the Genesis Invitational.
After a two-week break, Varner returned to this week’s Players Championship. On Wednesday, he sought out PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, who has made it clear that any player joining the league would face banishment from the PGA Tour. Varner said he would not reveal what was said between the two.
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“I do have to commend Jay for sitting down and talking to me and being totally open about,” Varner said. “I look at Jay as a friend, but it’s pretty odd how my name just went straight to the top of the list.
“You do your job, that’s what you do, and I thought that was pretty odd. I’ve always supported the PGA Tour when they needed me, and I want to be there.”
Varner, still seeking his first PGA Tour title, was doing his job quite well through the storm-delayed first round on Thursday.
Play started an hour later than scheduled on the soggy Stadium Course and then was suspended at 11 a.m. for 4 hours, 14 minutes. Before and after the delay, Varner was building up a lead in the Tour’s flagship event.
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He got a fortunate break on the first hole when Will Zalatoris’ caddie, Ryan Goble, stepped on his plugged ball just five seconds before Varner would have needed to return to hit another tee shot because of a lost ball.
From there, Varner lit up the scoreboard as was leading the tournament at 7 under when he stepped to the 17th tee. And then he became the first player to rinse his tee shot, his ball hitting deep into the green but spinning back more than 35 feet into the water surrounding the island green. Then his heart nearly stopped when his shot from the drop zone spun back toward the water but stopped on the fringe.
Varner needed three more shots from there and made triple-bogey 6. He bogeyed the last for a 3-under-par 69, three shots behind the lead.
“It’s a game. That’s why we play it. No one is going to die out there,” Varner said. “Just was in between clubs and didn’t execute the shot, and that’s what you get a lot out here. Either you get it done or you don’t.”
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Varner has three weeks to get to Augusta National for the Masters. Varner’s win in the Saudi International put him inside the top 50 in the official world ranking; the top 50 at the end of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play in three weeks. Varner is No. 48 in the world.
He is playing this week, in next week’s Valspar Championship and the Match Play.
“I want to get to Augusta,” Varner said. “I’ve always wanted to be there. I think I’ll have a great opportunity to get to Augusta.”
Hovland had not missed a cut in his previous five starts during this season.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — With the chaos that accompanies Saturday at the WM Phoenix Open, it’s often easy to make up lost ground. Just getting to the weekend puts a player in contention.
So while Sahith Theegala ran out to a lead during the second round at TPC Scottsdale and others like Patrick Cantlay kept humming along, there’s plenty of golf to be played at a tournament known for seeing wild swings in the third and final rounds.
Leading the list of those who missed the cut on Friday was World No. 3 Viktor Hovland, who looked like he might just squeeze in late Friday, but then he knocked two consecutive shots in the water. Hovland had not missed a cut in his previous five starts during this PGA season and already has a pair of victories — winning the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba and the Hero World Challenge. He also captured the title at the DP World Tour’s Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic just two weeks ago.
The cutline is the top 65 players plus those tied at the end of that group, and the number settled early at 2 under. Here’s a look at the biggest names who didn’t make it to the weekend.
Harold Varner III picked a great time to sink the biggest putt of his life, draining a 90-foot eagle putt to pip Bubba Watson.
Harold Varner III picked a great time to sink the biggest putt of his life.
Trailing fellow American Bubba Watson by one stroke and putting from just short of the 18th green at the par-5, Varner needed two putts to force a playoff, but instead drained a 90-foot eagle for the win at the Saudi International. He pumped his fist and leaped into the arms of his caddie in celebration.
“Worst case scenario, we’ll go into a playoff and I’d get him there,” Varner cracked in his winner’s press conference. “And then it went in and emotions came out. I love that. When I play with my boys, that’s the emotion I want to see. That’s why you play. Competition, it’s the greatest thing in the world.”
Varner, 31, closed in 1-under 69 in his final round at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia, to edge Watson, who earlier finished his round with a birdie-eagle combination that put him in the lead.
Watson trailed Varner by six strokes entering Sunday, but grabbed the clubhouse lead with a 15-foot eagle putt at 18. When Varner’s putt dropped, he ran to Varner, his partner since 2018 at the QBE Shootout, and hugged him.
“I’m not mad at him for beating me,” said Watson, who shot 64 on Sunday. “He’s a dear friend of mine and I applaud him. I love seeing that. I cheer for him.”
“We’ve shared a lot of time together. He’s always been in my corner,” Varner said. “But if I could beat somebody that I look up to, how cool is that? And the way it happened, hate it for him, but he’s won plenty.”
Varner’s victory on the Asian Tour was his second international title and first since the 2016 Australian Open. He’s still seeking his first PGA Tour title. Varner is expected to climb into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time since turning pro in 2012.
“I never doubted myself,” said Varner, who finished with a 72-hole aggregate of 13-under 267. “I never questioned my ability.”
