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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 18, 2019

Harold Varner III

Farmingdale, New York

Q. Can you talk about the conditions?
HAROLD VARNER III: According to my scorecard, they were awesome. No, it was firmer. It was good. I came here last Friday and it was super dry. So I've played, you know, I guess all 18 pretty firm, so I don't know, I just need to play golf, compete. It's just a really good test.

Q. How big a day is tomorrow?
HAROLD VARNER III: It's awesome. It's a great opportunity. It's going to be a great day no matter what happens. This is what you practice for, and obviously I'm super excited. Just need to go home and eat and do it again. I'm super excited for the opportunity.

Q. What do you think when you look at the leaderboard?
HAROLD VARNER III: The first thing that comes to mind is I think it's great for golf. If you don't go to sleep and think, man, this makes me want to work harder, if I can be that good, then I don't know why you're playing.

I don't know, you can't sit there and just weep and be like, he's so much better. I think that's going to push you. It almost pisses me off. That's what I think.

Q. Does it change your outlook? Playing for second?
HAROLD VARNER III: I haven't thought about any of that. Right now I want to think about playing solid golf. That's what I'm doing and I think when I do that, everything takes care of itself. Like I haven't seen the leaderboard.

I played well in the Barclays -- that would have been my rookie year. So maybe -- so I like my chances a lot. I mean, it helped just being prepared. I probably hit -- I mean, it took me three hours to play nine holes by myself. So just that preparation just makes it easy just to relax. You know, the one thing you've got to do is if you miss the fairway, make bogey and just try to get a look on the next hole.

Q. You're 7-under on the last 23 holes. What changed in your game?
HAROLD VARNER III: Absolutely nothing. You just saw some go in. I hit a lot of putts before that that didn't go in. No, nothing changed. I think you just have to do a really good job of competing out here. You know, when you mess up, just hang in there, you know, because if you just -- you miss a beat somewhere, you're going to make double real quick, I think.

Q. What did you think of --
HAROLD VARNER III: I didn't know that was his last name. He's really good. We actually played in college against each other -- I didn't know that, but he did. We had a good time out there and he's really good, man. I heard he's been playing really well on The European Tour. It's a great tour. I mean, everyone's good now. You've just got to, it's who beat you that day.

Q. Does the Australian win prepare you for this situation?
HAROLD VARNER III: I don't think it hurts, at all. Yeah, it definitely helps. I think winning produces winning.

Q. But you haven't had this sort of --
HAROLD VARNER III: No, not yet, but if we keep living in the past, I'll never get to win it. But no, it's good. I'm super excited, you know. What's the worst thing that's going to happen out there? I'll be all right.

Q. The difference between winning three majors and doing what Brooks is doing -- what is the gap --
HAROLD VARNER III: What is the gap? I don't even know what the gap is.

Q. Why do you think -- you said that's good for the game. Why do you think it's good?
HAROLD VARNER III: Because it's going to make the other guys push themselves. Some guys won't, but it's pretty much what Tiger did for golf in general. It's the reason why people work out. It's the reason why people are so good. It's the reason why Brooks is doing what he's doing right now, I think so.

Q. Is he the reason you're playing?
HAROLD VARNER III: The reason I play golf is because of my dad. The reason I watch golf is because of Tiger.

Q. Being in contention --
HAROLD VARNER III: I like money a lot but that's not why I play. I think every week you play a lot of money. That's your job -- I don't know, it just hits my account. I don't ever see it. I'm just going to go play golf.

Q. What does your really trained eye see with Brooks?
HAROLD VARNER III: On the golf course or on it? Man, he's pretty focused, unlike myself. He's on it, obviously. I mean, he's really good at golf. I haven't really watched him play a lot. I've never been paired with him. So I can't really say much. I mean, he must be doing something good. Y'all keep asking me about him.

Q. Is focus a problem?
HAROLD VARNER III: Always. Always will be.

Q. Are you thinking about something else?
HAROLD VARNER III: All the time. I just got to focus for like 30 seconds and I'm doing that really well right now. Yeah, it always will be. I didn't do a good job in school doing it. Still don't. But that's my challenge. That's what I accept and I'm okay with that.

Q. What about the fans?
HAROLD VARNER III: It's fine. I like it. Some of the stuff they say cracks me up. They are like, "Tiger, Tiger." (Laughter) so that one always gets me.

Q. Going to take a hell of a day from someone tomorrow to make a push, but what's a lowest number you can go?
HAROLD VARNER III: My goal is to hit the fairway on No. 1 and start from there. Pretty simple. You know, life's hard. This is easy.

Q. That three-hour preparation for nine holes, and now that it's paid off, is that going to change?
HAROLD VARNER III: 1,000 percent. Yeah, you got it. I thought I was prepared, but doing that, that's being prepared. Like some of the putts, like I know as soon as I get up there, like I've hit 30 of them to each pin. I mean, I don't know. I've never done it.

Q. How hard was it to force yourself to do that?
HAROLD VARNER III: Well, I'm not going to kick them under the bus, but I was playing with someone last week and something came up. So I came by myself and my caddie came. We had a good time. I played my music. My phone died out there, I was out there so long. Crazy.

Q. That's a long practice.
HAROLD VARNER III: Tell me about it. I was beat.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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