For LIV Golf League golfer Harold Varner III, the holiday festivities carried on a little too long. He was arrested on Thursday in Charlotte, North Carolina, and charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired, reports ESPN.
The 33-year-old Varner, who was born in Ohio but grew up in Charlotte, was taken into custody at 7:24 p.m. ET after registering a .16 BAC during a breathalyzer test — twice the legal limit. He was booked into the Mecklenburg County jail and later released on $500 bond.
Varner is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 19.
In August of 2022, Varner made headlines when he jumped ship from the PGA to LIV Golf. Like many at the time, Varner said the move was too good financially for him to pass over.
“The truth is, my life is changing,” he said in a statement on Instagram. “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.
“Your opinion of me may change because of this announcement. No lie, that’ll be a tough thing to deal with. But I haven’t changed — I’m still me. I promise you that.”
Varner earned just under $11 million during his time in the PGA but his LIV contract checked in at $15 million guaranteed. He acknowledged everyone moving to LIV was doing it for the money and not to grow the game.
In early December, Varner was traded from Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats to Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces.
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