Should 'loyal' PGA Tour stars be compensated? LIV Golf pro: "That's BS"

Harold Varner III has opened up on the blowback from his criticism of his LIV Golf peers and why he doesn't care about the PGA Tour deal.

Ben Smith

11 Aug 2023

Should 'loyal' PGA Tour stars be compensated? LIV Golf pro: "That's BS"

Harold Varner III dropped an expletive as he claimed PGA Tour stars who remained loyal and didn't jump to LIV Golf should not be compensated.

In a Q&A with Yahoo Sports, the 32-year-old American has opened up on what life has been like since he bolted from the PGA Tour in 2022.

It has almost been a year since he ultimately decided to join the breakaway. It was a decision that he wrestled with for some time.

But as Varner will tell you: cash is king. "I just want to keep playing for a lot of money," he told Adam Woodard.

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The golfer claimed in the interview it was harder to win on the LIV Golf circuit than on the PGA Tour because of the vast riches on offer.

LIV events have offered $25m prize purses at every single tournament. A cool $4m is awarded to the winner and there are also team bonuses.

Varner said the biggest misconception about LIV is that it's 'not serious', adding:

"I think it’s harder to win for $4m than to win a PGA Tour event. When you get in contention out here, it's like, [expletive], that's life-changing money. And I play for money."

Varner caught the headlines before the 87th Masters when he claimed LIV Golf players 'aren't growing the game'.

In a sensational attack on his LIV Golf peers, he blasted:

"They're full of s---; they're growing their pockets. I tell them all the time all of them, you didn't come here to f------ grow the game."

Varner was asked if there was any blowback from that comment.

He told the publication:

"I don't know, they aren't going to say it to my face if so. Man, we didn't come here to grow the game. We came here to make money and have fun and that's what we're doing, so just say that's what we're doing."

Should 'loyal' PGA Tour stars be compensated? LIV Golf pro:

Varner was asked if he would like to return to the PGA Tour one day. There's a couple of events he would like to tee it up at, but ultimately he isn't bothered.

Asked about the PGA Tour's 'framework agreement' with Saudi Arabia's PIF, Varner said he 'didn't care' about it because nothing is going to be figured out for a while.

"I just get to play golf," he said.

Varner also stated that he doesn't believe PGA Tour stars who rejected mega money from LIV should be financially compensated.

It was recently announced by PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan that a taskforce has been created to determine how to much players should be compensated.

Monahan also gave the taskforce, named the player benefit program, the responsibility of determining how to welcome back LIV players to the PGA Tour should they wish to return.

Harold Varner interjects question to Talor Gooch about his Ryder Cup prospects.
Watch: pic.twitter.com/35YwvWFay4
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) August 4, 2023

Phil Mickelson - who has faced allegations he wanted to bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup - recently claimed that this was a 'colossal' waste of time as no LIV player wants to return.

Varner said:

"I also don't think people on the PGA Tour should get compensated for being loyal. I think that's [expletive]. I don't think anyone should, you had the option to go."

Varner is competing at LIV's 11th event of the 2023 campaign in Bedminster.

There are only two more stops in the 2023 season, in Chicago and Jeddah, before the $50m team championship in Miami.

Varner is said to have been paid in excess of $40m to join LIV.

So far in 2023, he is fifth in the money rankings with $7,605,833 in on-course earnings.

Talor Gooch leads the way having banked more than $14m, followed by Cameron Smith ($9.6m), Brooks Koepka ($9.1m) and Bryson DeChambeau ($8.7m)

Read the full Q&A with Varner here

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