Tiger Woods video inspires Harold Varner III friend battling cancer
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Tiger Woods video inspires Harold Varner III friend battling cancer

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On the eve of the 2019 Masters, Tiger Woods took 17 seconds out of his preparation to record a video for a friend of a friend.

The friend was fellow PGA Tour pro Harold Varner III, who reached out to Woods the week of the Valspar Championship to ask the now 15-time major champion if he could help his friend, Daniel Meggs, who is battling cancer. It was the first time Varner, who has become friendly with Woods in recent years, asked the legend for any kind of favor.

“I've never asked him for anything," Varner said Tuesday ahead of the Wells Fargo Championship. "I asked him the week of Tampa and I got it the Wednesday of the Masters. I sent it to [Meggs] and he sent the greatest reply ever."

Meggs' reaction was remarkable, according to Varner.

“For like a good 20 seconds, we didn't say anything. We just cried,” said Varner, who described the video as inspirational. “It was just super awesome. Like I didn't do anything, but the joy that I got out of seeing him talk to me, I just can't put it into words.”

"He said, ‘Well, I can die now.’ We're laughing," Varner added. "He's like, ‘No, man, it's really cool. I needed this.’”

Meggs is a fellow competitive golfer, growing up playing golf with Varner in North Carolina, including the collegiate level when Meggs played at Wake Forest and Varner was at East Carolina.

Varner is hopeful Meggs will make it to Charlotte for a day at the Wells Fargo Championship, including potentially caddying a few holes for him in the Wednesday pro-am.

Woods, whose father Earl died from cancer, has a particular affinity for people battling the condition.

At the 2018 Masters, Woods met Shane Caldwell, a long-time fan who was battling Stage 4 lung cancer after a social campaign caught the eye of Woods' girlfriend, Erica Herman. Woods met Caldwell, shaking his hand and spending a few minutes with him before signing a glove. Caldwell died just a few days later.

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Ryan Ballengee

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