LIV Golf shook up the golf world in just six months after luring 52 professional golfers away from the PGA Tour. Harold Varner III was one of those golfers that quickly jumped ship, and he wasn’t afraid to admit that it was about the money.
Varner III posted a statement on his Instagram in August to announce his decision to join the LIV Golf tour. His decision has paid off in just a short amount of time. He won his most recent event at Trump National in Washington D.C. by one shot on Sunday. He shot 68 in the final round and finished at 12 under to claim his first win since leaving the PGA Tour.
Despite his slow start on the LIV tour, Varner III earnings per tournament have significantly went up compared to what he made on the PGA Tour.
Mo Money, Mo Problems
Varner III released a long statement last August on his Instagram that told fans the truth.
The statement read in part, “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 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.”
It wasn’t a bad decision for him and his family. Varner III on average makes $352,316 per event with LIV Golf in just 10 events. He made only $55,043 in 189 events with the PGA Tour, National Club Golfer reports.
Big Paydays
Varner III is not the only golfer who is pulling in more money with LIV Golf. Big-name golfers like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, and Phil Mickelson are all enjoying the bigger paydays.
According to the National Club Golfer, Johnson went from making $243,964 per event on the PGA Tour to $2,998,147 per event with LIV Golf.
Reed made $138,304 per event on the PGA Tour, compared with $1,400,226 per event with LIV Golf.
Mickelson’s and Koepka’s earnings per event saw a significant increase with LIV Golf as well. The effect also has trickled down to smaller names on the tour.
In its inaugural season, a total of $255 million was handed out in prize money across eight events, with $30 million in bonuses included. The number didn’t include the players’ undisclosed sign-on fees, but the 52 total golfers earned at least $1 million in 2022 after joining LIV.
