Harold Varner III was refreshingly honest about his reasons for joining LIV Golf
If you’ve followed Harold Varner III’s career, you may have been surprised by the news that he’s left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf.
His statement announcing and explaining his decision was just as well, but in a different way. Varner has always been unapologetically himself, a fact that’s led the 32-year-old to be a fan-favorite over the last few years on Tour. The shocking aspect of his statement was how refreshingly honest he was about his reasons for joining LIV, and he didn’t shy away from speaking about the money.
“The opportunity to join LIV Golf is simply too good of a financial breakthrough for me to pass by. I know what it means to grow up without much. This money is going to ensure that my kid and future Varners will have a solid base to start on – and a life I could have only dreamt about growing up,” Varner wrote in a post on his Instagram account. “It’ll also help fund many of the programs I’m building with my Foundation. I’ll continue to forge pathways for kids interested in golf. This note is a receipt of for that.”
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While Varner never did earn that elusive first win on the PGA Tour, the North Carolina native qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs for the seventh consecutive season this year.
He also won the 2022 PIF Saudi International, which stirred rumors that he was fielding interest from LIV Golf.
“I’m obviously not going,” Varner said to SI in June after receiving what he called a “nuts” offer from LIV Golf.
“I’ve spoken with (PGA Tour commissioner) Jay (Monahan), I’ve spoken with a lot of people I look up to and it just wasn’t worth it to me for what it was worth. That’s pretty simple.”
Varner will make his LIV Golf debut this week at The International in Bolton, Massachusetts.
Article originally appeared on: GolfWeek.usatoday.com
Why or how is what he says any different than any of tbd other players? Why is it refreshingly honest to say what others are doing it for, other than him being a person of color? It’s about money and time, like it is with anyone that works.
Varner’s message was refreshingly honest in so much as he focused on the main and real reason for joining LIV, the substantially higher amount of money on offer; whereas other players like Kevin Na, Patrick Reed, Dechambeau and Henrik Stenson tried to deflect from that by citing other reasons like the novel LIV teams format, or more international events when basically it was just about the money. Also he actually mentioned the word “money” whereas others like Koepka and DJ alluded to it more gently/indirectly with the usual “I’m doing what’s best for me and my family”.
V good golfer not great but what an honest guy
Gotta luv him for that
Money for his charitable foundation. Bully for him and boo for the gran poobahs at PGA TOUR and Golf Channel who fumbled away the wide open opportunity to create a super-national series of events within their points games. Got outflanked by the Saud prince. Saud companies can be bot here by investing in KSA an ETF run by Blackrock on Wall St.