Harold Varner III has a smile that lights up the room. No wonder Youth on Course tagged him to be their first Player Ambassador last year. He’s relatable, he looks people in the eye, and he loves to laugh and keep things light. Now at 31, his nearly seven years on the PGA Tour have brought both ups and down.
But one things for sure: Varner is hungry for that first PGA Tour win. He’s tasted the thick of a major Sunday in the final group with Brooks Koepka, and has plenty here to share about what he learned from the pivotal moment and much more.
"I was just playing golf, and little did I know that I was playing some of the best golf of my life," Varner told Golf Monthly, weeks before his huge Saudi International victory. "It was nuts, and it went by fast. The greatest year was the one I almost lost my card because so much life happened. My wife lost her brother, it was just super high to low. I won the Australian PGA and came back and we were celebrating. And I found out while we were celebrating and I wasn't a man then. I wasn't capable enough to handle that life isn't fair, it's just not that easy.
"When you're little your parents keep some life stuff away like bills or whatever. You're in your own little cloud, you're with your boys. You might get a butt whopping for not being home on time, or doing something stupid. In reality they put a cloud around you. So I'm at the point now where I just want to see how good I can get. If I sit here and say 'hey, I'm pretty good' how douchebag does that sound? You weren't given this amazing talent to just be like "I'm good."
"Obviously my number one goal is to see if I can win on the PGA Tour. I haven't done it. I'm sure every interview this year will be 'are you ready to win?' and I'll answer that professionally, but deep down inside I'll be like 'no shit I'm ready to win bro' but this is my journey and I'm going to run my race, and I'm super proud of it.
"In 2017, I finished 12th to keep my card in the last event of the season. That meant a lot. It's the greatest thing in the world. You can do any drug on the planet but it's nothing like being in contention or possibly losing your job. It's awesome and it's so addictive. I love it. I just need to get back into contention. I'm ready. Talking with you about it makes me ready."
