AUGUSTA, GEORGIA | Two rounds into his first Masters and near the top of the leaderboard, Harold Varner III would find it easy to get engulfed by the weekend awaiting him.
As the father of a 6-month-old son, Varner has a built-in reality check.
“I can’t wait to see my kid,” Varner said as the wind whipped around him Friday afternoon. “He’s probably going to throw up on me. It’s awesome.”
Varner’s appearance on the big white scoreboards scattered around Augusta National after rounds of 71-71 is validation of his faith in his game and his growing comfort level on big stages, as illustrated earlier this year with his dramatic victory in the Saudi International.
The fact that Varner is one of three Black players in this Masters (along with Tiger Woods and Cameron Champ) adds another layer to his story. The day is getting closer, it seems, when Varner isn’t asked about being a Black golfer, but that day hasn’t arrived.
For years, Varner has said he wants to be known as a golfer, not a Black golfer, while understanding the racial realities of professional golf. The race question came again Friday afternoon.
“I represent Harold, and I think people can figure out what they take from that,” he said.
“I would hope I would represent kids that just don’t have access would be my No. 1 thing. If a Black or White kid wants to be like me, I think that would be an inspirational thing. I would hope I’d carry myself in a way where they would want to be as close to the profession as they could.
“I think a lot of times in the Black community, it’s more about the economic issues. It’s just hard to play golf. You can’t just walk up and play golf for a reasonable price. I’m very adamant about helping those people, and if they’re Black, I’m going to help them, and if they’re White, I’m going to help them.”
Varner’s story should be familiar by now. Raised in Gastonia, N.C., just outside Charlotte, he learned to play golf when his parents bought him a summer pass to play the local municipal golf course.
Varner, whose father, Harold, still works at the local Chevrolet dealership, learned the game there, guided by older men, most of them White, and his commitment to providing affordable and accessible golf for youngsters is as genuine as his smile.
He has partnered with Youth On Course, a national organization that provides affordable green fees to youngsters at courses around the country, and it is an emphasis of his growing foundation.
It is a complicated challenge but, similar to the way Varner plays golf: He works to simplify it.
That’s his way. He doesn’t carry a yardage book. He asks his caddie how far the shot is and where he should land it. From there, Varner hits the ball, then he goes and hits it again. He lets others overcomplicate the game for themselves.
It has worked for two days at Augusta National, where the already challenging conditions are expected to get more difficult Saturday when the temperatures top out in the high 50s, with winds kicking at 25 mph and more.
“I just want to keep doing what I’m doing. It’s only going to get tougher,” said Varner, who used an eagle-birdie-par-birdie run in the first round to change his direction in this event.
While Varner still doesn’t have a PGA Tour victory, his triumph in the Saudi International – where he holed a 92-foot putt on the 72nd hole to beat his buddy Bubba Watson – pushed him far enough up the world rankings to earn his first Masters invitation.
He fought through a post-victory letdown, made a good run in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship and feels comfortable at Augusta National. He’s been in the locker room once – to see if a pair of shoes had been delivered – but he changes his shoes in the caddie area like he does at most events.
Varner feels ready for this moment.
“I think winning just breeds winning. I never doubted that I could win, but it’s just never happened. I’ve been there, shot some high numbers when it’s mattered a lot, and I guess maturity,” Varner said.
“But the biggest thing is just running my journey… I never forget. Tiger told me the greatest thing. I asked him, ‘What does it take to win?’ He said, ‘You quit worrying about winning.’ It’s helped my demeanor; just do what I’m good at, play golf, hit the shot that it calls for. I think you have to do that a lot out here.”
It’s still a long shot that Varner could be wearing a green jacket Sunday evening, but he at least has put himself in a position to think about it with 36 holes remaining.
Varner has relied on Woods for advice, and he has spent enough time around Michael Jordan, whose Jumpman apparel he wears, to have gleaned some heat-of-the-moment advice from him.
Varner did lose an NCAA tournament bet with Jordan about the Duke-North Carolina game, forcing Varner to wear Carolina blue Wednesday at Augusta National.
It’s still a long shot that Varner could be wearing a green jacket Sunday evening, but he at least has put himself in a position to think about it with 36 holes remaining.
As a kid, Varner imagined holing putts to win the U.S. Open, the tournament he loved because of its difficulty. On Augusta National’s 18th green earlier this week, Varner looked at a putt, then turned to his caddie Chris Rice and said, “What if (I) had this to win?”
“I think about it all the time.”