- Varner registered a .16 BAC during a breathalyzer test after being pulled over
- The golfer defected to Saudi-backed LIV Golf for a reported $15million in 2022
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Professional golfer Harold Varner III was arrested on Thursday night in Charlotte, North Carolina for driving while impaired.
The 33-year-old, who plays on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit, was arrested at around 7:30pm ET on Thursday night.
According to Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, he was pulled over in Uptown Charlotte and registered a .16 BAC during a breathalyzer test.
Varner, who was raised in Gastonia, North Carolina, was issued with a $500 bond, which he posted later Thursday night after being taken into custody.
The Ohio native is next set to appear in court on January 19 at 9am, just two weeks before the start of the 2024 LIV Golf season in Mayakoba, Mexico.
Professional golfer Harold Varner III was arrested on Thursday night in Charlotte, NC
The 33-year-old, who plays on the LIV Golf circuit, was pulled over for driving while impaired
Court records show that Varner was previously pulled over in Mecklenburg County for speeding back in April, 2021. He was reportedly driving at 54mph in a 45mph zone.
Varner played on the PGA Tour for nine seasons before defecting to the LIV Golf breakaway in 2021.
Varner reportedly banked $15million when he joined LIV, which is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
‘My life is changing,’ Varner said in an Instagram post announcing his defection. ‘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.’
Varner turned pro in 2012 and played on the PGA Tour for several seasons before defecting
Varner is married to his wife, Amanda Singleton Varner, and the couple share a young son, Harold Liam Varner IV, 2, who goes by Liam.
For the first two seasons of LIV’s existence, Varner played for the Range Goats but was traded to Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces earlier this month in exchange for Peter Uihlein.
Since joining the rebel circuit, Varner has registered one win, which came at the 2023 LIV Golf DC event at former President Donald Trump’s golf course just outside of the US capital.
Meanwhile, he has two international wins since turning pro in 2012, winning the the Australian PGA Championship in 2016 and the PIF Saudi International last year.
