Former ECU golfer becomes first to play in Masters, program looks to rebuild
GREENVILLE, N.C — On Thursday, April 7 at 1:08 pm East Carolina alum and current PGA professional Harold Varner, III made history. He became the first ECU golfer to play in the prestigious 2022 Masters.
He was one of 90 individuals that teed it up in the 2022 Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. 鈥淪uper excited to play in the Masters鈥�, said the golfer affectionally known as HV3. 鈥淎nytime you get into a major championship, things are amplified but being my first Masters, I am going to enjoy every second and prepare to play well.鈥�
For current ECU Men鈥檚 Golf Coach, Kevin Williams the success by HV3 is a huge boost to the rebuilding of the men鈥檚 golf program. 鈥淭he success of Harold is something we are using to help us rebuild the program back to the level it was when Harold played here and hopefully, even higher than those days,鈥� says Williams. Williams, a North Carolina native and East Carolina alum who owns a combined 23-plus years of head coaching experience, returned to his alma mater July 1, 2021 for a third tenure and to provide leadership to the Pirate men’s golf program according to Director of Athletics, Jon Gilbert.
“We are excited to welcome Kevin Williams back home,” Gilbert said. “Kevin has all the characteristics we were looking for in a coach. He brings a winning mentality, he is an outstanding recruiter, and our team will benefit from his leadership and expertise on and off the course. He has a deep passion and loyalty for East Carolina University and the community. We are poised to take the next step for our program and I’m confident Kevin is the right leader to move us forward.”
September 23, 2021 the golf programs at ECU held their annual fund raiser and it has been the involvement from the HV3 Foundation and the man himself, Harold Varner III that has taken the event to another level. 鈥淗arold has a great passion for East Carolina University and he has been so helpful to our program by taking an active role in our annual fundraiser鈥�, says Williams. 鈥淗e has been so gracious with the time he has given to our student athletes. When Harold played here, I was coaching the women鈥檚 team so I got to see Harold鈥檚 passion for the game and his attitude is amazing which is a great tool for us to use in working with our team.鈥�
Williams served as East Carolina’s head men’s golf coach from 1995 to 2005 and led the women’s program on two separate occasions from 2000 to 2005 and again from 2006 to 2019. Collectively, the Pirates recorded a .710 winning percentage, captured 35 team titles, 44 individual championships and produced 23 Academic All-America selections under his tutelage.
This is the 7th year on the PGA Tour for Varner III, a four-year letterman for ECU from 2009-12. HV3 posted a pair of tournament wins as a Pirate. The 2012 Conference USA Player-of-the-Year selection, he also tallied 10 top 5 and 18 top 10 finishes while sporting a 72.4 career stroke average in 42 events (123 rounds). The Gastonia, N.C. native currently holds the school record for lowest 36-hole (13-under/131) and 54-hole (20-under/196) stroke totals both coming at the 2010 ODU/OBX Collegiate.
Ranked 40th in the world and standing 73rd in the FedEx Cup standings, Varner III has played in 11 tour events this year making six cuts and earning one top 10 placement (tied for sixth at The Players Championship). He owns a 69.7 stroke average (31 rounds) and won the 2022 Saudi Arabia event in the most dramatic way possible, holing a 91-foot eagle putt for a one-shot victory over Bubba Watson. Since turning pro in 2012, he has played in 177 career tour events making 112 cuts with 14 top 10 finishes, including a share of second at the RBC Heritage during the 2020-21 season.
According to Williams, rebuilding a program takes a big time commitment from a lot of different people and a good plan. Administration, local clubs, coaching and support staff all play a vital role. The commitment and success of a PGA Tour player like Harold Varner III shows the current student athletes you can play at the highest level.
Recruiting is the lifeline for any college program and the men鈥檚 golf program has been very active in tying in the success of HV3 into the recruiting message. 鈥淲e are very excited about the 3 young men we have coming in this fall. We signed two young men for next fall, Lucas Augustsson from Sweden and Philip Linberg Bondestad from Norway in addition to Davis DeLille from High Point, North Carolina,鈥� says Williams. 鈥淩ecruiting has gone very well so far. We came in with a plan on how we wanted to rebuild the program. Having some international flavor on our roster was a big part of that plan but also maintaining a strong emphasis on our home state. We are hopeful to find the next HV3 for our program. He is such a great ambassador for our university and men鈥檚 golf program, using his success is a huge part of our plan to rebuild the program.鈥�
The Men鈥檚 Golf team competed in their final regular season event Monday and Tuesday, April 11-12 at the University of Virginia鈥檚 home course Birdwood Golf Club. Next up, they will begin their post season at the American Athletic Conference Championship in Brooksville, Florida April 22-24.
Harold Varner, III at East Carolina University 2009-12
2010-12: Three-time NCAA Regional Participant
2010: Second-Team All-Conference USA
2011-12: First-Team All-Conference USA
2011-12: PING Award Winner
2012: Conference USA Player-of-the-Year
2012: NCAA Championship Participants reserved. War
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