When Harold Varner III left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, he was refreshingly honest about his reasons for taking the guaranteed money from the Greg Norman-led and Saudi Arabia-backed circuit, noting how his family and most importantly his foundation would benefit from the “financial breakthrough.”
After 54 holes just outside the nation’s capital this weekend, the 32-year-old will have even more money to pass around.
Varner claimed his first win with LIV Golf at its seventh event of the 2023 season Sunday at LIV Golf Washington, D.C., at Trump National in the suburbs of Sterling, Virginia. The North Carolina native birdied his final hole to defeat Branden Grace by one shot and take home the top prize of $4 million.
Mito Pereira finished third at 10 under, with Sebastian Munoz and Henrik Stenson T-4 at 8 under. Andy Ogletree, playing as a substitute for Paul Casey on Crushers GC, finished T-6 at 7 under.
@HV3_Golf takes the top step of the podium!#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/kge5muJ2c4
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) May 28, 2023
Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC claimed its second team win this season at 27 under, three shots ahead of Grace’s Stinger GC and eight clear of Bubba Watson and Varner’s RangeGoats GC. Torque previously won LIV Golf Orlando.
Following his PGA Championship win, Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC finished as the only team above par, with Koepka T-12 at 5 under on the individual leaderboard.
The league returns to action June 30-July 2 at Valderrama in Spain.