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Harold Varner III opened with a triple bogey and closed with a flurry of five birdies over his last six holes to claim sole possession of the lead at the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.

Playing the back nine first at the spectator-less Colonial Country Club, Varner got his day off to a horrific start with a triple at the par-four 10th but hit back with birdies at 12, 13 and 16 to return to level par.

He wobbled into the turn with a bogey at 18 but then jumped to the top of the leaderboard behind a run of four straight birdies from the fourth and another at his last for a four-under 66 and get to 11-under for the tournament.

"I'm still hitting it really well and putting it really well and those things go hand in hand," said the 29-year-old American, who is looking to claim his first PGA Tour victory.

"Obviously not the start I wanted, but it's just a part of golf."

Lurking one shot back is local favourite Jordan Spieth, who had his own troubles mid-round before recovering for a five-under 65.

Also playing the back nine first, Spieth, who began the day two shots off the lead, rocketed to the top of the leaderboard with six birdies through his opening 11 holes but then crashed out of top spot with a four-putt double bogey at the third followed by a bogey at the fourth.

Spieth, a three-time major champion, recovered with birdies at five and six to limit the damage and keep alive hopes of ending a three-year winless drought.

Powerhouse Bryson DeChambeau, who added muscle during the tour's three-month hiatus due to the novel coronavirus, is also one stroke off the lead after carding his second straight 65 on a hot afternoon in North Texas.

World number one Rory McIlroy staged a second-round charge, flirting with the course record before taking a bogey at his last for a seven-under 63 to sit two off the pace.

Until the final hole the Northern Irishman had been working on an error free round highlighted by a 23-foot putt for eagle at the par five first.

Birdies at two, six and seven put McIlroy at eight-under and one off the tournament record with two to play but his chances of 61 ended with a bogey as he joined Xander Schauffele (66) and Collin Morikawa (67) at nine-under.

Australian Matt Jones made par in his second round to put up seven shots off the lead.

Justin Rose and Harold Varner III carded rounds of 63 to take the lead in the PGA's first major tournament since the pandemic shut down the sport.

Englishman and world No.14 Rose was the clubhouse leader at the Colonial Golf course in Fort Worth until American Varner holed an 11-foot putt at the 18th to join him on seven under on Thursday.

The pair hold a one-shot lead over Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas, Mexico's Abraham Ancer and Americans Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas.

Matt Jones is the best of the Australian contingent, shooting an impressive four-under 66.

The Sydneysider's blemish-free round included birdies on the first, eighth, ninth and 15th and leaves him in a 10-way tie for 16th.

Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and John Senden all shot 69 to be tied for 57th.

Two back-nine bogeys left Jason Day at even par and in a tie for 78th.

Dustin Johnson did not enjoy his return to action as the world No.5 stumbled to a one-over 71 and carded four bogeys in a rusty round.

The event is the first on the PGA Tour since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Florida in early March, and has drawn a star-studded field to Texas.

Sixteen of the world's top 20 are in action, with top-ranked Rory McIlroy's round of 68 good enough for a share of 39th.

Rose said a bit of luck on the opening hole had set him on his way as he overcame some wayward shots to birdie his first hole.

"I got some momentum," he said on Sky Sports Golf. "I didn't play particularly well on the first six or seven holes but the putter was really hot."

"I got into a nice rhythm and I could have maybe got in the clubhouse better but I rode my luck a little bit."

Varner's bogey-free round is a boost to his hopes of capturing a maiden PGA Tour victory but said he is staying focused on the present.

"If I'm thinking about winning a golf tournament right now, I've probably lost it," he told reporters.

The PGA Tour observed a moment of silence at 8:46am in honour of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody after being pinned to the ground by a white Minneapolis officer last month for eight minutes and 46 seconds.

Varner, who went out in the afternoon, said he caught the moment on a TV at the gym before his round.

"I thought it was pretty cool," he said.

Australian golf will find a new home in the heart of Melbourne’s Sandbelt with a new state-of-the-art facility to be built.

The Australian Golf Centre will be the new headquarters for Golf Australia, PGA of Australia, Golf Victoria and Sandringham Golf Links Management.

The $18.8 million project, majority funded by the Victorian Government’s $15.3 million investment, will create one of the country’s premier golf facilities on the site of Sandringham Golf Links, opposite the world-renowned Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

The facility will feature a new public 30-bay driving range with target greens, the redevelopment of the existing 18-hole golf course, a public café and the National High Performance Centre, which will help shape the next generation of golf heroes.

The industry-leading centre will also feature:

• Short game practice area including a large chipping area for the high performance program
• Coaching facilities to showcase golf’s innovative and inclusive programs, including becoming the home of the industry’s accreditation program for training PGA professionals to coach people with a disability
• Indoor high performance training facilities
• A new two-storey building that incorporates office administration space for Golf Australia, PGA of Australia and Sandringham Golf Links staff, in addition to meeting rooms, education spaces and new public amenities and changerooms
• Additional water storage capacity for course irrigation that will reduce the course’s reliance on potable water; and
• An extensive revegetation program to increase the number of indigenous trees, vegetation and overall biodiversity value of the site.

The contract for the building construction work, to be undertaken by local firm 2Construct and expected to generate 24 jobs, was signed this week. The projected completion date for these works is April 2021.

Redevelopment of nine holes has been completed, with the remaining nine holes to be finished by December 2020. The course redesign and construction is being undertaken by Australian golf architects Ogilvy Cocking and Mead, with help from the Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

PGA of Australia chairman Rodger Davis said the project was another sign of the increasing unity in Australian golf.

“The Australian Golf Centre will help unify golf’s peak bodies and create efficiencies that will introduce more participants to our great game,” Davis said.

Golf Australia chairman Andrew Newbold said the centre would generate many benefits.

“Not only for our emerging talent but for Australian professionals as well, which gives the entire industry a base and a place to inspire the next generation into the sport,” Newbold said.

Stephen Spargo, president of Golf Victoria which is the project principal, was excited about the centre’s potential to be a nationally unifying force for the golf community.

“It’s fantastic to see those in the sport rally behind such a great project and we’re delighted that it can take place in the heartland of Melbourne golf,” Spargo said.

Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula said the new centre would enhance the state’s reputation as “the home of golf in Australia” and continue to help the community’s re-emergence from the impacts of Covid-19.

“Golf is a great employer at the local and elite levels and investments like this are important in setting up the industry to thrive on the other side of the pandemic,” Pakula said.

The PGA TOUR’s 91-day hiatus since The PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP was canceled—the longest unscheduled break from competition since World War II—will finally end this Thursday (Friday morning, Australia time) when play resumes at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

As one of the first sports to get underway since the Covid-19 pandemic, golf is prepared take center stage in Fort Worth, Texas, where current FedExCup No. 1 Sungjae Im will lead a stellar field which  includes the top-five players in the world and 16 of the top 20.

PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan is well aware of what’s at stake. “I think at this point you have a wide range of emotions. But the most important one, or the most prevalent one for me, is that I’m excited,” he said.

“I know our players are excited. I know everybody that’s been a part of this process is excited to stand our game back up in such a strong way this week at the Charles Schwab Challenge, with a field that features the top five players in the world and more than 100 PGA TOUR winners coming back to a place that we’ve played consecutively annually since 1946 at Colonial Country Club. I’m excited. To that point, it’s hard to believe it will have been 91 days since we last played, but I’m really proud of the effort that everybody has undertaken to get us back there”

Preparation is already well underway at Colonial Country Club, where Sanford Health lab technicians have set up traveling mobile testing units that deliver results in a matter of hours. This partnership, Monahan said, should greatly assist the PGA TOUR in its safe and responsible return to play.

“We were really looking at this from two standpoints,” Monahan said. “How do we apply our testing program that allows our players to prepare to compete and not have to wait for an extended period of time? And at the same time, how do we do so in a way that does not take away from the resources that are needed for the communities where we play?

“To be able to have these mobile testing facilities and vans at our tournament this week at Colonial and every week going forward, to arrive and have that test turned around in two to four hours, and for us to be able to purchase all those supplies and provide all those resources, accomplishes both of those goals.”

Even if a player tests positive, the TOUR is confident that proper measures are in place to maintain a safe atmosphere for players and caddies. Players are tested prior to and immediately after their arrival in a tournament city, and once again to use certain areas of the golf course facility.

“What you layer on top of that is social distancing, the fact that we’ve identified ways to keep our players, caddies and all constituents separated from each other, we’re not going to have spectators, we’ve got a pretty extensive sanitization protocol and we’re going to keep that separation all the way through to the hotel and ultimately the charter flights that are going to move our players and caddies to and from events,” he said.

“We feel like we’ve done everything we can to mitigate the possibility that a player, caddie or anybody in our small bubble test positive. But if they do, we’ll come back to that original statement, which is we’ll follow the guidelines of the experts.”

As for the actual competition, Monahan has looked forward to that more perhaps anyone. Not just for the health of the PGA Tour and its players, but for all of the fans worldwide who have craved live sports for the last several months.

“For the game, we’re really proud of what this means for our TOUR and the opportunities for our players and to get back to impacting the communities where we play, “ he said. “As a parent, when you look at kids, they’re restricted from a lot of the normal sports and recreational activities, but golf is open and available and ready to welcome all. We’re really excited about what this point in time, this opportunity means for our game. We’re committed to making a difference there alongside our industry partners.”

World No.1 Rory McIlroy will tee up at the Charles Schwab Challenge on Thursday as a star-studded field looks to mark the PGA's resumption from a three-month suspension in style.

Each of the world's top five players will be at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, with McIlroy starting in a mouth-watering group alongside world No.2 Jon Rahm and third-ranked Brooks Koepka.

"For people to have something to watch on TV where they actually don't know the outcome I think is going to be nice for them," said McIlroy.

"I'm excited. I'm excited to be back on the road and doing what I'm supposed to do: play golf and compete."

McIlroy believes the sport is perfectly suited to the new circumstances imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, but asked for patience as those involved take their first steps into a new environment.

"I think it's an important week because golf can show that we can play in a socially distant manner. We can conduct a tournament and adhere to all the safety protocols that have been put in place," he said.

"It is going to be very easy to fall back into old habits because it's just what we've done. I'd say for the viewing public just to give the players and the caddies a little bit of leeway in terms of if they see something on TV that isn't quite right."

McIlroy went on to suggest the recent sense of co-operation between those involved at the highest level could lead to more dramatic structural changes such as a merger between the PGA and European Tour.

"I think for the health of both tours ... a 'world tour' is something I've always wanted, but it has to be done the right way.

"Whether it's some European Tour events offering FedExCup points and some PGA TOUR events offering Race to Dubai points, I don't know, but just a little bit more cohesion."

Koepka made no secret of the fact he is looking to unseat McIlroy, adding an extra competitive element to their initial outing alongside Rahm.

"I've got eyes on Rory," said Koepka. "That's the goal, to get back to No.1 in the world. That's the whole point of playing: to be the best.

"If I take care of my business, then I don't see any reason why I couldn't get back to that."

There will be no play at 8.46am, with a moment's silence held in honour of George Floyd, who prosecutors claim was knelt on by police for eight minutes and 46 seconds and killed in Minneapolis last month.

The move to cancel the tee-time as a mark of respect received widespread backing with Koepka describing it as "really special", Jordan Spieth calling for the idea to be extended "however long we need to" and McIlroy praising "a wonderful gesture".

The PGA Tour is leaving the 8:46 am tee time vacant this week at Colonial as part of a tribute to George Floyd and to support efforts to end racial and social injustice.

In a memo to players on Tuesday, Commissioner Jay Monahan said there would be a moment of silence in each of the four rounds at the Charles Schwab Challenge that will coincide with the 8:46 am tee time.

The time reflects how long - eight minutes, 46 seconds - handcuffed African American man Floyd was pinned to the ground under a white Minneapolis police officer's knee before he died.

"It has quickly become a universal symbol for the racial injustice faced by the black community," the memo said.

The PGA Tour has been shut down the last three months because of the coronavirus pandemic, and it returns at Colonial with attention shared among the health and safety concerns of running a tournament and the civil unrest sparked by Floyd's death across the country.

Monahan had written a memo last week to staff and players in which he said while it was difficult to figure out what role he should play, "we shouldn't be deterred."

The moment of silence will start with three short blasts of the horn. The tour is asking players on the course, just arriving or in the practice areas to pause for one minute of reflection "as we pay our respects to the lives lost and also commit ourselves to using the tour platform as past of the solution."

Monahan also said the tour was working on a long-term financial commitment.

Tiger Woods and the fans will be missing when competitive golf returns this week after a three-month hiatus due to coronavirus.

The Charles Schwab Challenge will otherwise get the full major treatment with a strong field on display, including an Australian contingent that features Jason Day, Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith.

Led by world No.1 Rory McIlroy, the world's top five players and 101 PGA Tour winners will be at the stately Colonial Country Club outside Forth Worth, Texas.

Play starts on Thursday in the first tournament since the Players Championship was halted in mid-March by the pandemic.

With NASCAR, IndyCar and the UFC already back in action, the PGA Tour will become the latest sport to emerge from the COVID-19 shutdown in North America.

But like the conditions surrounding those sports, golfers will be returning to a very different looking arena where social distancing and the results of nasal swabs and thermal scans will be as important as what they put on their scorecards.

"If we all want to get back and play the game that we love and not just for us but for the fans and everybody at home, we're just going to have to get over the fact that it's going to be different and be a little weird," world No.4 Justin Thomas told reporters after a practice round on Tuesday.

The most jarring change will be the absence of galleries that would normally flock to any tournament featuring the world's best players.

Golf's biggest name and winner of 15 majors, Woods will be the only noticeable absentee in the elite field as he continues to get his game in shape after recovering from back issues.

Television coverage of the Charles Schwab will include a few new features like augmented reality technology virtual signage while some golfers will wear microphones in an effort to liven up a subdued soundtrack.

"The atmosphere will definitely be different," Thomas said.

"But then again, everything is different than what we've been used to the last three months."

Despite the talent-laden field, Thomas expects a dip in the quality of play "because of rust".

Spain's world No.2 Jon Rahm said he did not pick up a club for seven weeks during the lockdown.

The Evian Championship, one of five women's golf major tournaments, has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tournament, due to take place at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France, was earlier moved from July 23-26 to August 6-9 due to the coronavirus-enforced shutdown.

With ongoing uncertainty surrounding travel restrictions and government quarantine requirements, the organising committee has concluded that conditions for a "safe event" are not in place.

"Our top priority is of course to ensure everyone stays healthy and safe. All of our teams are very affected by the forced cancellation of our major, but we must not lose sight of what matters most," tournament chairman Franck Riboud said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We are already committed to the next edition in 2021 to fully rediscover the values and the spirit of a family celebration, the conviviality and emotions that have made our Major unique for more than 25 years."

The Women's British Open is still scheduled for August 20-23 at Royal Troon in Scotland.

The other three major events - the ANA Inspiration, Women's PGA Championship and US Women's Open - to be played in the United States have been rescheduled for later in the year.

The fields of golf-starved stars are so strong as the US PGA Tour returns that early tournaments will feel like major championships, says Marc Leishman.

World No.15 Leishman is among 15 of the world's top 20 players, including No.1 Rory McIlroy and No.3 Brooks Koepka, preparing for Thursday's tour restart at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Forth Worth, Texas.

He's one of 13 Australians teeing up this week either there, or at the secondary Korn Ferry Tour event in Florida, as tour golf comes out of its 90-day shutdown due to coronavirus.

An excited Leishman travelled from his home in Virginia to Texas on Monday, determined to quickly recapture the form that earned him his fifth US tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open in California in January.

He admitted it would be extremely tough to win with some many top players eager to make an early mark in the condensed season ahead.

"The fields for the first few events are so strong that they will feel a bit like the majors and that will help with motivation," Leishman told AAP.

"Winning again and making sure I secure a really good starting position for the (season-ending) Tour Championship (in August) will keep me pretty fired up."

No crowds or handshakes, regular nasal swabs and golfers wearing microphones on course are part of the new look for the tour following the hiatus.

The safety protocols require players, caddies, tournament officials and tour employees to undergo coronavirus tests before travelling and they will be subject to at least two tests on site at each event.

"There have already been some very awkward fist bumps when someone has gone in for a handshake with me but realised we can't and withdrawn and that's going to happen for a few months," Leishman said.

"Getting a four-inch swab shoved up your nostril is different, but that's expected and it's a measure to keep us all safe,."

Host broadcaster CBS announced Tuesday that select players will be mic'd up while they compete and a "confession cam" will allow for some on-course interviews.

"It's going to be weird without crowds; it'll be funny if I wave to a non-existent crowd when I make a birdie putt," Leishman joked.

Joining Leishman at Colonial Country Club this week are countrymen Cameron Smith, Jason Day, Cameron Davis, Matt Jones and sponsor's invitee John Senden.

Stalwart Robert Allenby will feature on the Korn Ferry Tour event alongside fellow Australians Ryan Ruffels, Brett Coletta, Harrison Endycott, Curtis Luck, Brett Drewitt and Jamie Arnold at Dye's Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass.

The PGA Tour will allow spectators at next month's Memorial Tournament.

The event from July 16-19, held at Muirfield Village in Ohio, will be the first with fans in attendance since the coronavirus pandemic.

The PGA Tour resumes next week with the Charles Schwab Challenge but the first five events will be behind closed doors.

A post on the event's official Twitter page read: "It's official, thanks to State approval & support from the @PGATOUR, patrons will be permitted to attend the 45th edition of #theMemorial.

"More details coming soon regarding protocols designed to promote the health & safety of all who will be on-site at this year's Tournament."

The move could open the door to seeing spectators admitted at this year's Ryder Cup.

There have been calls for September's biennial showpiece between the US and Europe to be delayed if fans cannot attend, with players including world number one Rory McIlroy backing a postponement until 2021.

Steve Stricker, who will captain the US side at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, said earlier this week that it would be "almost a yawner of an event" without spectators.