When Harold Varner III defected to the LIV Tour in 2022, he was the subject of intense focus from the world’s golf media. In short, there was a suggestion from journalists that the Gastonia resident was giving up the opportunity of building a lasting legacy on the PGA Tour in return for chasing the eye-watering prizes that being a member of the LIV Golf League affords.
It was an uncompromising assessment of Varner’s decision and one that wasn’t even particularly true given that the 32-year-old could still compete in majors – the competitions that ultimately define a golfer’s legacy.
Varner eyes up history at the Masters in 2023
Indeed, the latest golf betting online odds for all four majors this year show Varner’s name to be ever-present with the player priced at +20000 to win the first one of the year, which is the Masters in April. While those are admittedly higher odds, the point here is that Varner’s decision to join the LIV Golf series has not restricted his entrance to playing in the sport’s most prestigious tournaments.
April in Augusta. #themasters pic.twitter.com/ShlKxIu08p
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 10, 2022
In this sense, nothing has changed and this is a man who is still eyeing up all the majors in 2023 in a bid to win his maiden title.
Indeed, the overall threat of suspensions and the current ban from the PGA Tour that continues to affect LIV competitors like Varner may not be in place forever following a set of radical changes to golf’s oldest tour.
The only constant is change
Essentially, there may well be promising news around the corner for Varner and every other contracted LIV golfer after the PGA Tour recently adopted a format that is almost identical to the newly launched league.
You know #WeHere for it ▶️ @pgachampionship weekend 💯 pic.twitter.com/2bVNUwKV7z
— Harold Varner III (@HV3_Golf) May 21, 2022
The biggest changes involve smaller fields where no player is in danger of missing the cut owing to the fact that there won’t be any in the designated events. Effectively, it is a LIV setup in everything but name which illustrates how successful this emerging tour has been in giving golf fans a novel experience when it comes to viewing.
So, why would this development open the door for Varner and any other LIV Golfer to play on the PGA Tour again?
The knock-on effect for LIV golfers
The answer comes down to the fact that the PGA Tour is no longer in a position where it can dictate what constitutes genuine competition. This was their stance which is why they immediately enforced bans on any player who signed a contract with LIV Golf.
However, now that the PGA Tour has implemented the same format as the one they were vehemently against, it stands to reason that there will be less pushback against the concept of LIV, and an opportunity for the powers that be of both tours to sit down and discuss how they can achieve a successful way to collaborate in the future.
Should this happen then this will undoubtedly be a positive step forward for Varner and the legion of fans he has in North Carolina and the United States who have been starved of watching him compete on the PGA Tour.