Golf Game Improvement Club

Amateur championship 'a good experience' for pioneer Varner

GASTONIA – When Harold Varner played for championship teams at Cramerton Middle School in 2002 and 2003, Eagles coach A.J. Simmons called him “Little Tiger” after renowned PGA golfer Tiger Woods.

Simmons obviously had an idea of the history that was about to come Varner’s way.

A championship golfer at Cramerton Middle, Forestview High and East Carolina University, Varner won his biggest individual tournament on Sunday when rallied in the final round to win the North Carolina Amateur Championship.

Varner, 20, became the first African-American to win the men’s title in the event’s 102-year history. A 2008 Forestview High graduate, Varner shot a 14-under-par 274 (71-67-70-66) at the Greensboro Country Club’s Farm Course to finish three shots ahead of three second-place finishers.

“It’s been a great experience,” Varner said of his championship on Monday. “You’re obviously going to lose more than you win in this sport. So I have to appreciate winning when I’m fortunate enough to win.”

Varner’s victory qualifies him for the upcoming United States Amateur Public Links at Bandon Dunes in Brandon, Ore., June 27 through July 2. Varner is leaving Thursday.

As for the history he set, Varner admits he was aware of it simply because it had been set recently by a women’s golfer.

In April, Greenville’s Angela Stewart won the North Carolina Women’s Senior Amateur in Asheboro to become the first African-American to win a Carolinas Golf Association event of any kind.

“That’s the only reason I knew that,” Varner said. “It’s pretty cool to be the first (African-American to win a men’s event). But it’s not something I’m thinking about when I play.”

If anything, Varner said he was more motivated by a disappointing finish in last year’s North Carolina Amateur at the Wilson Country Club. In Varner’s debut in the event, the rising senior at East Carolina was in second place after three days before fading to a 13th overall finish.

“That failure helped me a lot and told me how much harder I had to work to get to where I wanted to be,” Varner said. “Over the past year, I’ve grown a lot as a player and feel like I have a chance to win every time I play.”

Varner gives much of the credit for his game’s improvement to former Gaston Country Club pro Bruce Sudderth, who has given Varner lessons the past four seasons.

Nike CPR Irons Review | Men's Hybrid Iron Game Improvement Golf Set

The acronyms are flying with golf club designations these days, and the Nike CPR fits right into the mix. CPR = "Clubs for Prevention and Recovery." Kind of catchy, really. On the one hand, they are designed to prevent you getting into trouble, but if you do, they are also designed to aid in your recovery. The question perhaps then is: how do they do that?

The Nike CPR is a blended set of hybrids and game improvement irons. An 8-piece set, the 3 and 4 are hybrids while the 5-PW feature game improvement designs like a deep cavity back, perimeter weighting, progressive offset, and a uni-flex shaft - all designed for what Nike claims to be "rapid game improvement." That sounds a lot like marketing-speak for "beginner's set" to me. Be that as it may, there is a lot of tech to be found here. Physically, these clubs are, at first blush, reminiscent of the old Burner Bubble from TaylorMade . However, the insert is actually red (rather then copper colored) with the black and stainless color scheme.

A little on the large size, these clubs are heavier than some similar offerings. However, after getting a few rounds under your belt with them, that perception will no doubt fade and be a minor consideration. One limitation with the Nike CPR set is that, though they are (technically, at least) available with a graphite shaft, that option is nearly impossible to find, and most you'll see are steel-shafted. For many players in this category, a graphite option would go a long way to improving their game as well.

If you are a mid-to-high handicapper, the benefits of a blended set like this are something you should experience first hand. While the Nike CPR is a good choice, many other options exist in this category, including sets from TaylorMade, Cobra, Titleist and others.

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