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THE NORTHERN TRUST

August 21, 2018

Harold Varner III

Old Westbury, New York

EMILY TILLO: Like to welcome Harold Varner III into the interview room. Harold, you've obviously made great strides with this being your third consecutive FedExCup Playoffs event, and last year, getting in, being a bubble boy, moving from 138 to 123.

So just talk about what the FedExCup Playoffs mean to you and how important it is to get here and to be here.

HAROLD VARNER III: Hopefully I don't want it to be my ultimate goal is just to get into the Playoffs. First, you have to be here. Last year was obviously pretty cool, playing well at an important time of the year, and obviously I want to do the same. But I want to get in so good where I don't have to go through this again.

It's a great opportunity. I'm looking forward to it.

EMILY TILLO: Talk about how the pressure changes once you get here. You had a nice showing last year, T-20. What's the mood like amongst the players, amongst the fans? How does it change in the post-season?

HAROLD VARNER III: Every time Tiger plays, obviously the fans are -- it's a different level. I like it but it gets a little more wild and I love the chaotic atmosphere. But I don't put too much pressure on myself. It's another golf tournament. I like the course a lot. It's a lot of fun.

I just want to be prepared for Thursday.

EMILY TILLO: Is this your first time playing Ridgewood?

HAROLD VARNER III: Yes. First time.

EMILY TILLO: Thoughts on layout or any holes that jump out to you as favorites so far?

HAROLD VARNER III: It's a long walk. That's the only thing I know right now. I can't remember anything else. I love when the courses are tough. You have to hit a lot of drivers, and I like that a lot.

Q. Is there anything from a strategy or attitude perspective as you try to survive and advance here, or do you really just treat it as you would a regular-season event?
HAROLD VARNER III: I guess there's -- for me, I try to treat it like a regular event but it's not. There's a lot of FedExCup points available. My ultimate goal is to make it to East Lake, and where I am right now, I need to play well.

So my goal is obviously to get inside the Top-70 so you have a legitimate shot. I've never been to the third Playoff event; a little bummer. It's a bad taste, and it's a good taste because it makes me hungry and want to work harder, and I have a great opportunity to do that this week.

Just trying to keep it as simple as possible. I've been playing well, which helps. When you are playing well, you don't think about anything. You just do your job. My job is to hit as many fairways as possible after being out there today; the rough is pretty thick. Just hole as many putts as possible. I think that's what you try to do every week I think.

Q. Did you play 12 today?
HAROLD VARNER III: Is that the drivable one? Yeah.

Q. How do you plan on playing that during the tournament? Do you have more of a tendency to lay up? Are you going to go for it? Anything in your practice round to help you prepare for that?
HAROLD VARNER III: I think I'm going to lay up every day, unless something changes, some situation that makes it where I have to go for it. I just don't see any -- I think it's weird. If you play that hole -- if you make four pars, I think you'll beat the field. I don't think it's going to play under par. I think it's a good hole.

I like those kind of holes but I found, you know, perfect examples, like No. 12 at Sawgrass. I mean, I don't know what that hole played, but I laid up every day, except one day when I could hit a 3-iron. I just want to have four looks and I think I'll have a really good chance of having four looks if I lay up.

Today I drove it green, but that wasn't good for my caddies, but it will be all right.

EMILY TILLO: You mentioned the Tiger effect, how things change once he's on site. This morning, he had a 9:00 interview and it's just, you could tell the energy.

HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, he cut in front of me today. It wasn't that cool (laughing).

EMILY TILLO: How do things change and how do you think this tournament is going to play differently with him in the field?

HAROLD VARNER III: There will just be more people. I like it. I like showing off. I like being the show. That's why we play. That's what I enjoy.

So I like it. As we -- we've traded texts a few times and played together a little bit this year. So today, he cut in front of me, and I just had -- not a few choice words but we were just laughing, you know, under our breath. I know what he was thinking.

Yeah, it's good. I mean, obviously you can tell what he does for the game. I think growing the game, he's doing an unbelievable job of, if you need to ask a question and you're a player on TOUR right now, you can do it. I don't know why you wouldn't ask. I feel like I'm really good at that. I feel like every player out here should. He's the best to ever do it, and if I have the opportunity to learn from him, I just don't know why I wouldn't ask.

EMILY TILLO: Is there a specific instance that's come to mind where you've asked him for words of advice or anything that really helped your game?

HAROLD VARNER III: After Greenbrier, obviously didn't play great on Sunday. Obviously it didn't matter because Kevin Na would have beat anybody on Sunday.

But on the way home, I just asked him, I was like: What do you do when you're under pressure? It was the first time I had a really good opportunity to win a tournament, a PGA TOUR event, and he was like: I don't change a thing. I do everything the same and just focus on that.

I found myself when I was in that position to kind of over think it maybe, and for him to replay instantly I think kind of shows who he is. He's been great to me. I've asked some other things -- we could go on for hours, but it's just nice that he's approachable.

EMILY TILLO: Thank you. Good luck this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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