Harold Varner III

Returns for a third Open Championship thanks to his climb into the world’s top 50 this season.

He jumped from 99th to 45th by sinking an amazing 90-foot eagle putt on the final green to beat Bubba Watson by one at the PIF Saudi International in February. Five weeks later Varner, the first African-American to be promoted to the PGA Tour through the Web.com circuit, tied for sixth at the Players Championship, then in April was joint third at the RBC Heritage, where he fired a third-round 63 but was pipped by Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay on the final day.

After attending East Carolina University he turned professional in 2012, qualified for the following year’s U.S. Open and grabbed the 25th and final graduating spot on the 2015 Web.com Tour.

His first professional victory was the 2016 Australian PGA Championship, co-sanctioned by the European and Australasian circuits. It came a year after he lost a play-off to Nathan Holman in the same event.

In 2019 was joint second with a round to go in the PGA Championship, but playing partner Brooks Koepka was the one to go on to glory. He tied for 23rd on his Masters debut in April.