THE 150TH OPEN

July 17, 2022

Harold Varner

Mixed Zone

Q. What do you think about St Andrews, coming here during this year? Did it match your expectations?

HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, I felt like it was really good. I played links all last week, so it was a good warmup, good test. I played with D.J. every day, and he beat me every single round. So that wasn't fun, but I think it prepared me.

I left a few shots out there, but I just can't wait to play in another one. This is my third one. Just getting accustomed to how quirky it can be but how fun it can be. Make it fit your eye some way, somehow.

I don't really complain about much. So I don't really have any complaints. I wish the wind was up more. I don't control that. It was awesome. I had a blast.

Q. Highlights of the golf course, of St Andrews. What was the best part?

HAROLD VARNER III: I made an eagle today. That was awesome. Not many highlights other than the weather was unbelievable. Like you don't ever come to play -- I played Royal Troon, and that was nasty. I'm all about the weather being like this.

Q. Do you enjoy being out there? Is it more difficult to enjoy this kind of golf?

HAROLD VARNER III: No, I enjoy every time I play golf. A lot of people play golf just for fun. We get to do it for a job, and that's really fun. The first two days I got to play with Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth. That was really fun to be in a featured group, people watching, just getting comfortable in that situation. That's big for me.

I feel like I keep getting better, I keep getting closer. I believe in the things I'm doing right now to have a chance. I want to be not talking right now, out there watching me play. That part of it, you've got to take and just not get too pissed off that you weren't in contention, but it's golf.

Q. How good was that second shot on --

HAROLD VARNER III: 14. I heard it hit the pin.

Q. It hit the pin?

HAROLD VARNER III: Supposedly it hit the pin. I just know it was five feet away, and I hit the five-footer in, and I was totally cool with it.

Q. The way the crowds are there is quite wide.

HAROLD VARNER III: So you can't see.

Q. You can't really see. I was following you. I saw the second shot. It looked good off your club, but I didn't actually see where it had gotten.

HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, I just wanted to get it over the hill. If it was long, I could get it up and down. Ended up being five feet away, and I was totally cool with that.

Q. Any particular shots that you've employed this week that you've kind of almost like learnt, especially this week?

HAROLD VARNER III: Just kind of getting smarter, just be a little bit more conservative. When I start playing good, all I see is the pin and how do I get close to it? So just got to be a little bit more -- you know, a perfect example is 17. You just can't hit it in there. Especially where I hit my drive, just get it off and to the right. I hit it the right distance, just never went to the right.

So those are the little things I've just got to keep getting better at, not wasting strokes.

Q. You said it didn't blow enough for you. You'd rather it be more windy? Is that to bring the field back?

HAROLD VARNER III: No, it's my overall enjoyment of what links is about. It's meant to be played that way, getting it on the ground.

I felt like I handled everything pretty well. It took us 6 1/2 hours to play the first day. Just everything that came with it. I think that's what makes it unique.