Harold Varner III drew plaudits when he signed up for the LIV Golf Tour and admitted that although people might look at him differently, he simply couldn’t turn down the money.
On Wednesday afternoon before the breakaway series begins the penultimate event of its inaugural season in Jeddah, Varner stood beside Graeme McDowell and listened to the Northern Irishman make an impassioned plea for world ranking points.
According to McDowell, 43, he believes they might as well drop the word “Official” from the OWGR if golf’s governing bodies continue “playing games” and “don’t take care of the players out here.”
Related: PGA Tour says let all LIV players into the majors
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“For me, I think we knew what we were getting into.”
Harold Varner III bringing some fresh perspective to the OWGR discussion: pic.twitter.com/fvPONj2aiP
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) October 12, 2022
G-Mac’s comments came shortly after Dustin Johnson quipped that he “regretted” his decision to join LIV Golf becoming the series’ 2021-2022 individual champion and picking up a bonus check for $18m. If you add that to his on-course earnings through six LIV events, he’s earned north of $30m.
But back to Varner, who joined Greg Norman’s enterprise in August after previously suggesting that NBA legend Michael Jordan had persuaded him that joining LIV wouldn’t be the greatest idea. That was before Varner’s wife weighed in, apparently.
Varner said he “loved” McDowell’s “unbelievable” answer.
Which was strange because he came at the issue with a completely different perspective.
It’s fair to say that Varner doesn’t mince his words.
He said: “For me, I think we knew what we were getting into. I think it’s easy to sit here and say what could happen, what should happen. But obviously for me, I knew what was going to happen. Like, it wasn’t going to be easy.
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“I think the people at LIV did an unbelievable job…because I don’t know about the check marks. Honestly I could care less. I knew exactly what was going to happen. I knew what could happen in my career and I accept that.”
He added: “I’ve had a great time out here. So the world ranking thing, it’s just been a part of golf for so long, and now all of a sudden some feathers have been ruffled. It’s funny, though, I think . But it is what it is.”
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