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NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL CHAMPIONSHIP

September 25, 2015

Harold Varner III

Columbus, Ohio

Q. Just talk about your second day and how you feel.
HAROLD VARNER III: I just it was a grind today. Just didn't make as many putts, but I gave myself some looks. I'm just playing well. I just need to play a good weekend. This course is set up pretty well for me.

Set up pretty well. I think 4-under is leading, 3-under, 4-under.

Q. At least you made the cut.
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, but that's not our goal. We need a chance to win with nine holes to go. Try not to come to events to try and, make the cut. If there was a cut I wanted to miss it would be this one. My sister is getting married tomorrow. So that's a bummer.

I'll give her best of wishes and kiss when I see her again.

Q. How is it being from Akron?
HAROLD VARNER III: It's good.

Q. Ohio born, bred.
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, I miss it. I don't miss the weather at all, but I enjoy going back a lot. Obviously want to get into the Bridgestone, Firestone, that's obviously a goal of mine.

Most of my family is there, but my mom and dad live in Gastonia, so I get back there all the time.

Q. Now that you made the tour, has it sunk in?
HAROLD VARNER III: Yes, it has. I got to go get better. It's time to go play better. Yeah, the first couple hours was kind of -- I was on a plane so I had five hours to think about it without texting anyone or anything like that.

So it's a goal mine, but I want to play well.

Q. This is all about moving up and getting into more tournaments, right?
HAROLD VARNER III: Exactly, exactly. And I am. That's the ultimate goal, to try to get in as many events as possible in the fall.

Q. As far as your journey to the PGA Tour...
HAROLD VARNER III: It's a little different for sure.

Q. What was it that put you over the top? More consistency? Something about your game?
HAROLD VARNER III: My short game has gotten better. Obviously I hit it well, but now I'm chipping and putting well and I can't find the (indiscernible.)

It's okay. I'm finding my way. Everyone has their own course and I need to figure out my course. I know what I need to do to get better. I have the right people around me. I'm going to focus on that and get really good at golf and enjoy every second of it.

Q. So you talked about multiple times about playing the Firestone.
HAROLD VARNER III: Yes. That would be pretty cool. I got to play well though. It gets back to the simple things: I need to play better.

Q. Was there any letdown after getting your card?
HAROLD VARNER III: Zero letdown. That was my No. 1 goal was to get a PGA TOUR card. It's just something that I'm glad it happened. Obviously it's something I really want to do, but I really want to go out there and play well.

This just gives me an opportunity by having a card. Doesn't give you any type of credit. I need to go play well. The courses are really good out there. There are great golfers out there. I don't think they're that much better than me, so I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Q. Are people giving you advice, like don't burn yourself out and play too many tournaments or maybe that...
HAROLD VARNER III: I'm sure they want to, but I'm doing a really good job of just channelling it and getting it out of in front of me. I know what I need to do. Same thing that got me there is going to help me win out there.

Q. You said you had a good group around you. Just a small...
HAROLD VARNER III: It's my parents, agent. I had a great college golf coach and I have a great mentor who is in Gastonia. I have a good team. I think you are who you hang out with. My team is who makes me. They built me to what I am now, and I need to ride that as long as I can.

Q. Your college coach, is he still your swing coach?
HAROLD VARNER III: No, he's not, but we still keep in touch. One thing I've learned when I was in college is when things are well off the golf course it's way easier to play better golf.

Just the way I structured my life is going to make it easier to play well in the long run.

Q. Didn't realize you were born in the same hospital as LeBron and Stef.
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, what a crazy thing. They beat the piss out of us though this year. I went to Game 3. That was pretty awesome. We happened to playing in Cleveland that week, so that was really cool.

Q. Did you...
HAROLD VARNER III: Was I pissed? Yeah, livid.

Q. Did you have decent seats?
HAROLD VARNER III: I did. They were club level. Didn't really care. Just wanted to go.

Q. First time you had seen LeBron in a while?
HAROLD VARNER III: No, it's funny, I came in December/January and watched Johnny Manziel on Sunday and watched LeBron on Monday. I'm a Johnny Football fan. I know y'all aren't, but it's whatever.

I was rooting for the guy, and now he's not even starting. Wins the game and doesn't get to start. I would say something else, but I can't.

Q. Did you orchestrate that...
HAROLD VARNER III: Oh, yeah, I mean, I've only bought one jersey and it's a Johnny Football jersey. I'm thinking about burning it, but...

Q. Did you see your Akron relatives when you were there?
HAROLD VARNER III: I did not. Cleveland is not as close as I thought it was to Akron. It's close, but in traffic it's like 45. I'm not really looking forward to that after I get done playing.

Q. Just thought maybe -- I thought maybe your aunt that used to work at the course may be here this weekend.
HAROLD VARNER III: Oh, no. I don't know. I have no clue. My parents keep up with them more than I do really. I just do my thing. My parents do a really good job of supporting me.

Obviously my sister is going to be very pissed off now.

Q. The wedding is tomorrow in Gastonia?
HAROLD VARNER III: It's in Greensboro.

Q. You got to fly down for that?
HAROLD VARNER III: I would.

Q. What's her name?
HAROLD VARNER III: Jatcie Varner. Can't wait to call her. There are just things. These four events are big for my career. If I take care of business these four events, I can always take care of everything. That's way more important than a wedding. It's my sister. She's going to be my sister whether she gets married, divorced, whatever.

Q. Is she older?
HAROLD VARNER III: Younger. She's 23. She's crazy. I call her an idiot, but I love her to death. She's really mature though. She doesn't drink; she doesn't party. Me? I love to do all those things.

Q. Did she want you in the wedding?
HAROLD VARNER III: Oh, you better believe it.

Q. U assume you turned that down right off the bat.
HAROLD VARNER III: Not in that kind of way. I was nice about it. She understood. You know, we don't get caught up in the weddings. That stuff, there is a bond between me and my sister that goes way further than me being at a wedding.

Q. Does she play golf?
HAROLD VARNER III: She does not play golf. She swims.

Q. Did she swim for Greensboro?
HAROLD VARNER III: She did not. She could have swam at Gardner-Webb, but just wanted to go to school.

Q. So was this a big bash you're missing, this wedding?
HAROLD VARNER III: No, I would be the party.

Q. So she's going to be mad that you're not going to be there because you would be the life of the party?
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, I would wreck that party. Her friends are pretty cool. I know some of them pretty well. Then my roommate in college, so...

Q. Just talk about your golf game and what it's like these days. What do you like most about it?
HAROLD VARNER III: Well, I'm playing better. That's what I like the most about it. Doing the same thing I was doing last time I was here last year: trying to get better.

I know the things I have to do. I have to drop it a little bit better and I have to chip and putt better. That's what it's going to come down to for me actually making it out there and doing some damage.

Starting to chip a lot better, but you got to putt well all the time. It's kind of my thing. Just work on that a lot. Putting in more time.

Q. Growing up in Akron, did you embrace the game early?
HAROLD VARNER III: I did not. I didn't play much in Akron. Moved when I was six. I played with my dad like around Good Park. A little bit there. Hit balls in my back yard. Nothing crazy.

When I got to North Carolina started playing tournaments, and then I played in the Good Park Junior. Used to come back every summer. I would be in Akron that week and two weeks prior. I would stay with my grandparents for three weeks.

Q. What can we do to get more African Americans in the game?
HAROLD VARNER III: What can we do? That's a tough one. Really good one. I just think it's hard. The cost of playing golf now is just unreal. It's 30 something bucks to play golf a day. Ish. When I was playing you could pay $100 and play from June 1st until September 1st.

As long as you're a walk-in, you could play Monday through Friday. That beats any YMCA ever. I had the old guys who took care of me. I would play with them, and I learned a lot of stuff playing with those guys.

To get more people, I think it goes back to opportunity, giving back. A lot of times shouldn't be a black and white thing. I've heard people say, Man, he's hanging out with those white kids. It's just different. You know, I want to help someone whether they're black or green or orange.

Q. Absolutely.
HAROLD VARNER III: That's the key. Can't be a barrier there.

Q. Just talking about avenues or doors.
HAROLD VARNER III: I know.

Q. What about caddying to get to the course to be close?
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, I don't know how this works. I was fortunate enough when I turned 16 I joined a club. I started working as a cart boy. Yeah, I don't know where that would be everywhere.

A lot of people, African Americans, don't want to work in a golf course. That's just the way it is. I'm not going to tell someone what to do.

I wanted to work at the golf course because I wanted to play golf. It was very simple decision for me. Wasn't like I was going to go work at a retirement home or somewhere else. I'm going to work in this country club. I know the people here. Gives me a better opportunity.

So it was like a little different mindset. I was 16. I wanted to play golf in college and the golf course was better.

Q. But you knew early on?
HAROLD VARNER III: Exactly. I was 14, 15.

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