At the Masters, Harold Varner makes an improbable charge into contention on Day 2

Harold Varner III’s putt to seize a share of the lead midway the second round of the 86th Masters at mid-afternoon Friday rolled true, but the ball stopped seven inches short.

So close, yet so far.

But he can’t complain too much. Two months ago, he could see this opportunity only in his imagination.

Another putt, this one significantly longer and certainly less likely to fall, changed his golfing life. He made a 90-foot bomb for eagle on the final hole to win the Saudi International earlier this year. The victory catapulted him up the world golf rankings and a strong performance in the Players provided another boost — enough to earn a spot in the Masters.

That’s a long way to come in a short time for a player who learned the game at a municipal course in Gastonia, North Carolina, and honed his skills at East Carolina University.

Indeed, his 2-under-par 142 after a pair of 71s is a long way from his 3-over-par start Thursday. Then, with his ball nestled in the pine straw on the par-5 13th, he struck the lightning bolt that changed his round.

Varner’s 4-iron from 227 yards — a shot his caddie advised against — flew true, stopping one-foot from the pin for a kick-in eagle. Two more birdies got him home in red numbers.

“I like making eagles; they don’t add up too quickly,” he quipped afterward.

Varner worked his magic again Friday in cooler temperatures with the winds creating adventures for golfers. Even par for the day and still one-under for the tournament, he sent his second shot on the par-4 10th off the left side of the green and came to rest in bogey — or worse — territory.

Naturally, his chip shot across the green, probably 25 yards or so, rolled into the hole.

“You’re not going to hit it to the right and have a good shot to chip it in,” he said. “I knew, if I hit it to the left, I could chip it up there and have an easy par. It was rolling, and I was like, ‘Oh, cool, I can go tap it in.’ And people started raising their hands, and I was like, ‘Hell yeah.’ ”

He birdied 13 and 16 to get to three-under for the tournament before a bogey at 17 cost him a shot. His tee ball at the par-3 16th teased the cup and stopped two feet away.

“He played well,” playing partner and former Masters champion Sergio Garcia said. “He hit a lot of good shots, putted very nicely both days. He made some par saves and birdies from seven or eight feet that sometimes are not that easy to make.

“He got a couple of nice breaks and those things help, but he’s been playing very solid all year. So, it’s no surprise.”

Varner, who lives in Charlotte, obviously likes his first two rounds in his first Masters, and he wants more over the weekend.

“The best experience is playing well,” he said. “At the end of the day, that’s what I want to do. That’s very selfish, and I’m totally OK with that.

“I just want to keep on doing what I’m doing. It’s only going to get tougher. Everyone’s going to keep talking about it, but I just want to have a chance to win.”

Varner’s only pro victories have come overseas — at the 2021 Saudi Invitational and the 2015 Australian PGA. He’s been close on the PGA Tour, but he hasn’t been able to close the deal.

“I think winning breeds winning,” he said. “I never doubted that I could win, but it just never happened. I’ve been there, shot some high numbers when it mattered a lot. But the biggest thing is running my journey.

“I think getting better should be the ultimate measurement. Like, every time I play, I feel like I’m getting close and I’m going to build on that. Eventually, I’ll break through.”

Growing up, Varner practiced with the goal of making the winning putt in the U.S. Open, but winning the Masters will do just fine.

“I think about (winning the Masters) all the time,” he said. “That’s what I want. That’s what I’m here to do.”

Why not? He’s right there.

This story was originally published April 8, 2022 at 6:16 PM.