FORT WORTH, Texas — One spectator tried to sneak into Colonial on Friday, and it was hard to blame him with all the birdies and big names in contention.
Harold Varner III opened with a triple bogey and still managed a 66 for a one-shot lead. Right behind was Jordan Spieth. Rory McIlroy bogeyed the last hole and still shot 63. He was two shots behind, with Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas in the mix.
The PGA Tour has returned after three months because of the pandemic. And if the opening round felt like the first day of school, Friday was a small step toward normalcy, even without fans.