LIV Golf star Harold Varner III hits back after golf club asked him and team members to leave

LIV Golf star Harold Varner III has responded to Bear Slide Golf Club's account of an incident involving six golfers, insisting the group never played as a six-some and disputing claims that other players were delayed.

The incident took place on August 18, during the week of LIV Golf's season finale in Indiana.

Bear Slide recently issued a statement (read below) claiming Varner had a foursome booked but arrived around 30 minutes late with six golfers. 

According to the club, staff accommodated the group by arranging two separate three-balls, but the players asked if they could play together as a six-some.

The club said the starter refused the request and subsequently told Varner on three occasions that groups of six were not permitted.

It's understood Varner and fellow members of OKGC were present. 

OKGC, formerly Smash GC, is represented by captain Talor Gooch, Varner, Jason Kokrak and former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell.

Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka used to be the captain of Smash GC prior to his exit from the LIV Golf League at the end of 2025. 

Bear Slide claimed the two groups initially played separately before combining on the 4th hole. 

Staff allegedly watched all six golfers tee off and putt together before asking them to leave.

The club also disputed suggestions that there were no golfers behind the group, saying staff had observed players waiting on the 4th tee, another group on the 3rd and two more on the 2nd.

However, Varner's management has now offered a significantly different version of events with a post on his Instagram Story. 

In a statement posted in response to Bear Slide, Varner said the six golfers had paid to play and simply asked whether they could play a 3v3 scramble.

“When the starter declined the request, they respected the decision and played at pace as two separate groups of three,” Varner said.

He strongly disputes the club's suggestion that the golfers subsequently joined together.

“At no point did the six golfers combine or play as a sixsome,” the statement added.

Varner also maintains there were no groups immediately ahead of or behind them being delayed.

The LIV golfer further disputed the circumstances surrounding the decision to remove the group.

According to Varner, at the end of the 4th hole the starter spoke with the second group and asked everyone to leave because he believed they were attempting to combine.

Varner says his group was already heading towards the next hole and that he was never personally approached or asked to leave.

“Once the message was relayed, the entire group left respectfully and without issue,” he said.

Scroll down to read Varner's post in full.

Bear Slide previously said all six golfers received refunds and stressed that nobody was told to “get the hell off the course”.

The two accounts therefore differ on some key details, particularly whether the six golfers combined on the 4th hole and whether other players were being delayed.

What is not disputed is that the group ultimately left the course without further incident.

Varner's statement concluded: “We are sharing this only to ensure that the facts are represented accurately.”

The incident comes during a significant week for LIV Golf, with the Indiana event becoming the league's season finale after its planned team championship in Michigan was cancelled.

For now, both sides have provided their versions of events, with no independent account establishing which version is correct on the disputed details.