	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE GREENBRIER CLASSIC

July 7, 2018

Harold Varner III

White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia

Q. Right now you're a shot back. How pleased are you with the way you played today?
HAROLD VARNER III: Super pleased. I hung in there on the front nine, a lot of pars, and just got it going on the back, and now I've got an opportunity to win a golf tournament.

Q. Obviously patience, I guess, key through that run of pars on the front nine?
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, just didn't hit it close. It was hard to get it close. I don't know if it was that way in the morning, but it wasn't really receptive. Just hung in there.

Q. Birdies started coming on the back nine. Talk about the one at 14.
HAROLD VARNER III: It was just solid, hitting a lot of fairways, getting a lot of good looks, and just trust what you're doing.

Q. In terms of trust, talk about the shot here --
HAROLD VARNER III: It was solid. I just wanted to get a putt. My foot was in the bunker, and once again, give myself as many looks as possible.

Q. You're carrying great momentum, great form. What are your thoughts on what you need to do tomorrow?
HAROLD VARNER III: I need to be Harold, play golf, just do my job. That's what we do. Keep doing what I'm doing. Obviously it's working, and try not to focus on what's going on in the tournament. I think people are going to make a lot of birdies tomorrow, and just know that I can make birdies at any moment, just relax and do my job.

Q. All pars on the front and 4-under on the back, a tale of two nines. How would you describe today?
HAROLD VARNER III: It was solid, very solid. Just stayed patient, and when I was out of it, stayed in it. That's when you know you're playing good golf. Obviously everyone is looking at the birdies, but on the front side I did a good job of when I did miss the green I got it up-and-down and I made some good par putts, and that's what kept it together, I think.

Q. You're putting was really good. In fact, on the back, it looked like everything was going in. Did it feel that way?
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, for the most part. When I had a really good look, yeah, for sure. But the biggest putt was on No. 14, I think, the long hole, where I putted it down there and I had like a six-footer for par, and then the next hole I made a 20-footer. I think it's all about momentum. Stay confident, stay aggressive. As long as you're playing from the fairway, you've got a shot here.

Q. You shot 66, 64, another 66. Will another 66 get it done tomorrow?
HAROLD VARNER III: I don't think so, but my job is to go play golf and see where the cards are dealt. I like having fun. This is what we play for, enjoy it, and look forward to this. Unless you're Tiger, you don't get many looks at this.

Q. I was talking about your attitude on the golf course. You're always positive no matter what's going on in your career. That's going to help you tomorrow, I think?
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, 100 percent. You're not going to do any good being negative. I'm going to live for this moment. You've got to be positive. I think it would be very -- you have to be really good at golf to be negative and still perform.

Q. Every winner at the Greenbrier has come from behind.
HAROLD VARNER III: That's a fun fact of the day. I didn't know that. But I've still got to do my job. I hope that stays true, but we'll see.

Q. Bogey-free round, and on the back nine you were able to turn it up, capitalize on the par-5s, you had four birdies. How are you handling the course?
HAROLD VARNER III: Just keeping it in front, not hitting it over the greens, putting really well, so it's pretty nice, and then playing from the fairway.

Q. How about the way the course played from yesterday to today? How much did you have to pay attention to the pay things were changing?
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, it was a lot firmer on the greens, but I kind of like when it gets a little dicey like that. It makes crazy stuff happen, and I think that's fun. That's what golf is.

Q. You played in this event one time before. Coming into Sunday, you'll be in the last group for the first time ever. What does that mean to you?
HAROLD VARNER III: Not much. I think it's a Sunday on the golf course with a chance to win a tournament. I'm super stoked, to be honest. I'm ready to get to work. I'm going to have a hard time sleeping, which will be great. You should. You should be excited about this.

Q. You've been in the hunt before. You've got a chance going into Sunday. What do you make of this chance going into tomorrow?
HAROLD VARNER III: I think there's a really good chance. Last time I was in contention, Graeme blew it away in Mexico. I'm trying to think of other times. Other times I was just kind of out of it, back door, played good on Sunday. I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to go fix a few things that I thought I did wrong yesterday, even though I played well, and see what happens. I'm not going to do anything crazy. I'll probably eat with the Cooks, though. I've been eating with them every night, so I'll possibly do that again.

Q. You told me yesterday you wanted 10 birdies a day, but considering how it was playing I don't think you quite got to 10, but had to be pretty happy with what you did get.
HAROLD VARNER III: I fell a little short.

Q. This course was tough today, though.
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, I'm still going to try and make birdies. That's the nature of it. Everyone else is going to make birdies. Xander made eagle on 17. That's unbelievable. Yeah, just going to do me. I think if I do that to my best, I'll have a really good chance come 18 tomorrow.

Q. What do you tell yourself when you're grinding out pars on the front nine like you were?
HAROLD VARNER III: Just smile. I mean, it's just a part of golf. 18 holes, that's going to happen eventually. It happened to me on the front, and I'm okay with it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297