LIV Golfer Harold Varner III Arrested For Driving While Impaired

The 4Aces GC player was briefly held in custody after being arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday evening

Harold Varner hits a wedge shot
(Image credit: Getty Images)

LIV Golf pro Harold Varner III was arrested and briefly held in custody for driving while impaired on Thursday evening.

The three-time winner was driving in south Charlotte, North Carolina, where he lives, when he was arrested "while subject to an impairing substance" according to court documents obtained by Charlotte's WBTV news.

He is said to have been twice the legal driving limit when tested by a breathalyzer, registering a 0.16 blood alcohol concentration level.

Varner's bond of $500 was paid and he was released from the Mecklenburg County jail, with a court appearance set for Jan 19, 2024. 

The 33-year-old recently transferred from Bubba Watson's RangeGoats LIV Golf team to Dustin Johnson's 4Aces ahead of the 2024 LIV Golf League getting underway in February.

Varner joined the league in August 2022 and was very frank in his reasons for joining the Saudi Public Investment Fund-backed circuit.

“The opportunity to join LIV Golf is simply too good of a financial breakthrough for me to pass by," he said at the time.

"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.”

He finished seventh in the 2023 LIV Golf League with a win and four other top-10s.

Varner III currently ranks 215th in the world, having been as high as 35th before joining LIV Golf. His wins have come at the 2016 Australian PGA Championship, the 2022 Saudi International and the 2023 LIV Golf Washington tournament.

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV