Harold Varner III on Thursday after his third stroke on the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass.
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You’re not alone, Harold Varner.
Two weeks ago, ahead of the Honda Classic, fellow pro Brooks Koepka was asked for the second-hardest shot in golf, assuming the first was the tee shot on the island-green 17th at TPC Sawgrass. His choice wasn’t too far away from there.
“The drop zone from 17, because I’ve been there a lot,” Koepka said. “I’ll be honest with you, I’ve played that hole — if they throw that stat up, who’s played it the worst over the last five years, it’s probably me. Yeah, I haven’t played that hole very well. But the second — the drop zone up there, that’s probably the second.”
Enter Varner, who, during Thursday’s first round of the Players Championship, also hit his tee shot into the drink on 17, also began walking toward the drop zone about 60 yards ahead and to the left, and who also had to hit an 80-yard wedge over the same water that swallowed his first ball. Afterward, a reporter asked Varner “how scared” he was.
“Well, I was s—ing my pants when I got up there because the angle was just so bad,” he said “I wasn’t sure. I got up there, and it was just a little funky, but I was more scared that it might go in the water again. When it was coming down, I was like, not another one.”
Give credit to his honesty. And yes, swing two and stroke three would stay dry. Barely. After hitting his tee shot against the green’s upslope and seeing it roll back down and into the water, his second ball nearly suffered the same fate, before settling into the little patch of rough ahead of the lake. From there, he chipped on and two-putted for a six.
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Before the triple bogey, Varner hadn’t dropped a stroke, and no player had hit into the water.
“It’s a game,” he said. “That’s why we play it. No one is going to die out there. I’ve always said that. 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.”
Notably, for the stroke Varner lost on 17, he might have gained after his opening tee shot. Varner hit into the right rough and couldn’t find his ball until he said the caddie of playing partner Will Zalatoris shouted that he had stepped on it.
“But the coolest thing that happened today was Will Zalatoris’ caddie found my ball on the 1st hole plugged with like five seconds left before I had to go back to the tee,” said Varner, who finished with a three-under 69. “He stepped on it. It could have been totally different, so I’m super fortunate just to be obviously in the clubhouse. It was a long day. I think it’s going to be a long week, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to just have a chance.”
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