Varner leads as McIlroy charges

LOS ANGELES, California: Harold Varner overcame a triple-bogey start to maintain the lead at the halfway stage of the Charles Schwab Challenge on Friday as the hardcharging 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 fourunder- 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 new coronavirus pandemic. "I have learned a lot about myself through adversity. America is going through adversity right nowso 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.