US golfer Harold Varner III hopes his childhood inspiration Tiger Woods doesn't call time on his storied career - but he'll understand if he does.
Woods cast significant doubt over his future earlier this week when he said he didn't know if he'd ever play golf again, due to nagging back injuries, admitting he now spends most of his time playing video games.
The joint leader of the Australian PGA Championship after three rounds, Varner is hopeful there's more to come from the 40-year-old great.
If Woods was to retire, that would leave Varner as the only African-American left on the US PGA Tour, having secured a card for next season by snapping up one of the last spots left from the Web.com Tour.
Varner said Woods, along with his father - Harold Varner II, a car salesman and twice-weekly hacker who bought him a set of clubs when he was just a toddler - convinced him to take up the sport, and has vivid memories of watching Woods play a practice round at the Wells-Fargo Championship as a youngster.
"He's going to keep playing, I don't think it's the end of the tunnel for him right now," Varner said.
"I just wish he would come back and play and keep playing.
"He's great for the game - obviously, you saw in Greensboro (Woods' last tournament in August), that was unbelievable to have that many people show up to Greensboro.
"That's close to where I'm from, I've been to that tournament, and when Tiger shows up he moves the needle.
"I want to see him play as long as possible, but I've never suffered any of the injuries he's gone through.
"I've never had a surgery, he's had two on the same spot."
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