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.
Professional golfer Harold Varner III was arrested and charged with DWI on Thursday night in south Charlotte.More: https://t.co/jWZmLFMxjN pic.twitter.com/dh2KJOdS4WDecember 29, 2023
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.
