Harold Varner III earned his PGA Tour card in 2015 after a couple of seasons on the then-named Web.com Tour.
Varner became the first African American to earn his Tour card through the Web.com Tour. At his first professional win, the 2016 Australian PGA Championship, he became the first American to win the event since Hale Irwin did so in 1978.
Besides breaking barriers, Varner had a solid career in his time on the PGA Tour. Although he never won a PGA Tour event, HV3 did come close to winning the 2019 PGA Championship but struggled in the final pairing on Sunday, shooting 81 to finish in a tie for 36th.
A career best T-2 finish at the RBC Heritage in 2021, he held the 54 hole lead at the event in 2022 before Jordan Spieth erased the lead to win by one.
After the conclusion of the 2021-22 PGA Tour season, Varner III announced he was leaving for LIV Golf. Unlike most of his new colleagues, the former ECU Pirate gave a refreshing answer as to why he chose to leave the PGA Tour.
“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 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,” Varner wrote in a post on his Instagram account. “It’ll also help fund many of the programs I’m building with my Foundation. I’ll continue to forge pathways for kids interested in golf. This note is a receipt of for that.”
Junior Champion Harold Varner III at the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach during the…
Junior Champion Harold Varner III at the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach during the Champions Tour on September 2, 2007 at Pebble Beach, California.
Harold Varner III (L) shares a laugh with his caddie during the first round of the…
Harold Varner III (L) shares a laugh with his caddie during the first round of the Chiquita Classic held at The Club at Longview on September 27, 2012 in Weddington, North Carolina.
Harold Varner III hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during Round One of the…
Harold Varner III hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during Round One of the 113th U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club on June 13, 2013 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.
Harold Varner III hits a drive on the first tee during the third round of the…
Harold Varner III hits a drive on the first tee during the third round of the Web.com Tour Chitimacha Louisiana Open Presented by NACHER at Le Triomphe Country Club on March 29, 2014 in Broussard, Louisiana.
Harold Varner III watches his tee shot on the ninth hole during the second round of…
Harold Varner III watches his tee shot on the ninth hole during the second round of the Web.com Tour Hotel Fitness Championship at Sycamore Hills Golf Club on August 29, 2014 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Harold Varner III reacts after putting on the first hole green during the third round of…
Harold Varner III reacts after putting on the first hole green during the third round of the OHL Classic at the Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Club on November 14, 2015 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Harold Varner III hits a shot during the final round of the Web.com Tour Chitimacha Louisiana…
Harold Varner III hits a shot during the final round of the Web.com Tour Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER at Le Triomphe Golf and Country Club in Broussard, Louisiana.
Harold Varner III of the United States plays his shot from the seventh tee during the…
Harold Varner III of the United States plays his shot from the seventh tee during the second round of the OHL Classic at Mayakoba on November 11, 2016 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Harold Varner III holds up a flag after qualifying for the 2016 Open Championship with a…
Harold Varner III holds up a flag after qualifying for the 2016 Open Championship with a seventh place finish at the Quicken Loans National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda Maryland.
Harold Varner III tees off during day three of the 2017 Australian PGA Championship at Royal…
Harold Varner III tees off during day three of the 2017 Australian PGA Championship at Royal Pines Resort on December 2, 2017 in Gold Coast, Australia.
Harold Varner III prepares to putt on the first green during the third round of the…
Harold Varner III prepares to putt on the first green during the third round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club South Course in Akron, Ohio.
Harold Varner III reacts to his tee shot during the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge…
Harold Varner III reacts to his tee shot during the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge in Partnership with The Clinton Foundation at the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West in La Quinta, California.
Harold Varner III of the United States lines up a putt on the tenth green during…
Harold Varner III of the United States lines up a putt on the tenth green during the second round of The Northern Trust at the Ridgewood Championship Course in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
Harold Varner III of the United States plays his shot from the second tee during the…
Harold Varner III of the United States plays his shot from the second tee during the third round of the 2019 Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio Oaks Course in San Antonio, Texas.
Harold Varner III tosses a golf ball while waiting on the second tee during the third…
Harold Varner III tosses a golf ball while waiting on the second tee during the third round of the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.
Harold Varner III and Bubba Watson walk during the Changing the Course initiative nine hole charity…
Harold Varner III and Bubba Watson walk during the Changing the Course initiative nine hole charity match prior to the Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Michigan.
Harold Varner III watches his tee shot on the first hole during round two of the…
Harold Varner III watches his tee shot on the first hole during round two of the Fortinet Championship at Silverado Resort and Spa on September 17, 2021 in Napa, California.
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors talks with Professional Golfer, Harold Varner III before…
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors talks with Professional Golfer, Harold Varner III before Game Six of the 2022 NBA Finals on June 16, 2022 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Harold Varner III of the United States plays a shot from a bunker on the 13th…
Harold Varner III of the United States plays a shot from a bunker on the 13th hole during a practice round prior to the start of the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.