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Harold Varner III put on a show at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C., to take the first-round lead in the latest LIV Golf event.
Varner's stunning round included two eagles, driving him to an incredible eight-under 64, giving him a two-shot lead over James Piot, who carded a steady six-under 66.
Harold Varner's performance was hampered by an early bogey at the par-three fourth hole. However, he swiftly recovered with a birdie to tie the game. Varner's eagle-two on the 317-yard, par-four ninth hole was the turning point.
“Holing out never gets old, and it makes it a lot easier,” Varner said. “No, nothing spectacular. You just want to have eagle looks, honestly, and if you do that — I got lucky, I made some long ones in Tulsa, chipped in, but it’s a part of it. I feel like I’ve been working at it.”
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Continuing his hot streak, he added another eagle at the par-five 13th hole, followed by two straight birdies for a four-under run in three holes. Harold Varner then rounded off his outstanding round with birdies on the final two par-five holes (Nos. 18 and 3), solidifying his position at the top of the leaderboard.
Harold Varner III takes charge, aims first victory on the Saudi-funded circuit
Harold Varner III, 32, is currently seeking his first victory on the Saudi-funded LIV circuit. He has had a remarkable career thus far, finishing tied for 29th at both The Masters and the PGA Championship this season.
Notably, his most recent accomplishment came in February 2022 on the Asian Tour at the Saudi International, which fueled his desire to win the LIV Golf event.
Cameron Smith of Australia, Mito Pereira of Chile, Kevin Na, and Andy Ogletree are among the chasers at four-under 68.
Former US Amateur champions Piot and Ogletree are members of a bright younger crop of pros looking to make a name for themselves in the PGA Tour's upstart rival league. Piot's round featured seven birdies and one bogey, while Ogletree's round featured five birdies and one bogey.
“LIV Golf for me, I can speak personally, has given me an opportunity to succeed,” Piot said. “I mean, there are so many good golfers out there, and just to be one of the 48, I feel like one of the luckiest guys on planet Earth. It gives young guys another opportunity, is the way I see it.”
Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed are among the notable names tied at three-under 69, while Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia of Spain, among others, finished the first round with solid two-under 70 scores.
Brooks Koepka began the LIV Golf event with an even-par 72, coming off his fifth career major triumph at the PGA Championship.
“I want to see the RangeGoats beat the Aces, and there’s only one way to do that, and that’s with good golf,” Varner said. “On paper we’re really good, and I’m tired of being good on paper.”
Harold Varner III's RangeGoats GC is tied for first place in the team competition at the latest event with Iron Heads GC. RangeGoats' scores came from Varner, Talor Gooch, and Belgium's Thomas Pieters, while Iron Heads benefited from skipper Kevin Na, Zimbabwe's Scott Vincent, and New Zealand's Danny Lee.
Both teams are at a remarkable 10 under par, indicating a fierce tussle as the event progresses.
