THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome Harold Varner III from 4Aces GC. Harold, you are tied for the lead with Paul Casey. You shot 7-under 63 today. Tell us a little bit about your round.
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, it was good. Obviously after last week it was good just to see some birdies go in and not many bogeys. It was good. I felt like last week was whatever, but I had no momentum, so it was good to just see something good happen.
Q. I know you had never really seen this golf course before when I talked to you earlier in the week. Did you think that a 63 was going to be gettable for you on your first day out here?
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, I didn't even see the -- whichever side, so I didn't see the front side, so I had no clue. But I love that I didn't have to drop every time I hit one off line, so that was exciting.
I wanted to help the team. I think I didn't pull my weight last week. It's important. It's not very fun when you're seeing people, our team low on the totem pole. It was good.
But it's early. Just need to keep doing my thing.
Q. Talking to you earlier in the week, you talked about how much the team aspect means to you. You are currently tied for third with you in the lead. Tell us, is this really important for you as a new member of the 4Aces this week to really show up given the performance last week to try and get the win for them?
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, I think everyone knows the dynamic. When you get traded you want to beat that team. It comes with playing other teams, but I think we have four really good people, but on the team part, I just think it's really cool when you're going through things in life and you can bounce those things off of people.
The only way I would be here is with a team, so I think that's very important.
Q. It's a really stacked leaderboard right now. Everyone is real close together. What do you need to do to get out there to break away from the pack and really --
HAROLD VARNER III: So I should probably not look at the leaderboard because I didn't know that. Yeah, it is what it is. It's golf. The main thing is I've got to keep playing good golf.
Q. What was the difference today versus last week? What was working today?
HAROLD VARNER III: You know the deal; I didn't have to drop when I hit it off line. No, I got some good work in with Butch. That guy has been really good for me, so I saw him on whatever day and just worked on getting the ball going one direction, and obviously it paid off pretty well.
Q. What do you think is the target score this week? Do you have a thought?
HAROLD VARNER III: I don't really think about that much. The biggest thing for me was not finishing last -- I'm just messing with you.
Just play golf. I'm here to play good golf, and as a competitor I think that's what you're supposed to do. I was kind of pissed off because I think -- first of all, it's embarrassing, and second of all, I think I'm better than that, so prove it. That's good for me. It's a good spot to be.
Q. What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about working with Butch Harmon?
HAROLD VARNER III: Well, if I'm honest with you, obviously something happened in my life, and I'll never forget, I get there and I'm like, I'm ready to hit balls, and he sat down and talked to me for two hours. I think that type of teaching is not around. Sometimes it's not about hitting the golf ball.
But I think he's the best. He's been really good. He's a mentor to me. Obviously he's been a mentor to DJ, and we had some good laughs. I definitely got rubbed the wrong way sometimes, on Tuesday, whenever we were there.
First thing that comes to me, he's probably the best teacher, and I'm very lucky to take lessons from him.
Q. Anything specific you worked on this week with him?
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, making sure the golf ball goes right. It was going left and right last week. Yeah, just little things, clearing the mind, doing what you're supposed to do. That usually is a recipe for success.
Q. Does momentum build early in the round after the week you had? Those first few birdies, does that change your whole mindset?
HAROLD VARNER III: No, I've always said this: I think confidence doesn't come from hitting good shots. You had confidence before you hit good shots. I don't believe that you have to do something good for -- I don't like that.
As soon as the putt went in last week, that was probably the best thing that ever happened. It was over.
No, I expect to play well. I want to play well. I'm going to work until those happen.
When I made birdies, it was like, all right, let's go birdie the next one. It's like riding a bike. Once you get in the groove and it's fun, a little bit more quiet this week, even though we're in Vegas. My family and my sister and my niece were out last week and they got sick.
There's just a lot of things going on, and right now it's about me, and selfishly to play well, sometimes you have to do that.
Q. Standing on the first tee today, last week is completely out of your mind?
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, for sure. I would use some other words, but obviously y'all keep putting that in there, so I'm going to clean up a little bit.
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