LIV Golf League star Harold Varner III is known for his big personality, and that attitude seems the perfect fit for the glitz and glamour of Macau. After a mixed first round, the mercurial American is eager to put on one of his better displays to match the surroundings in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn.
The bubbly 4Aces star was one over through 11, after a run of nine straight pars and one bogey at the turn. But the 33-year-old put together four birdies in the last six holes to bounce back and ease himself to a three-under 67, just four shots off leader Li Haotong of China and behind a huge chasing pack at the Macau Golf & Country Club.
Varner got the season underway with a disappointing last-placed finish at El Camaleon Golf Course in the season-opening LIV Golf Mayakoba. After a T15 last week at LIV Golf Hong Kong, he hopes to keep trending in the right direction.
He said: “That was good considering I was one over just after the turn – I just have to get going a little faster. That’s golf though. I played pretty well in Hong Kong so I have got to keep up that momentum. I’m really loving my golf right now, I’ve been working on doing good things and I have to trust that process and keep going.”
Varner clearly likes the international brief of the Asian Tour. Aside from last week’s T15 at Fanling, he carded a sublime 62 and two consecutive 66s on his way to a top-10 finish in the Hong Kong Open last year.
He also won the Australian PGA Championship in December 2016 and the PIF Saudi International in February 2022 with a monster eagle putt on the last.
Varner can’t quite put his finger on the reason behind his good form on the road. However, he has credited The International Series for ‘keeping him sharp’.
He said: “I think it is awesome. It gives great opportunities, but you have got to play well. A lot of the LIV guys are coming over and it is good for me – it keeps me from being lazy! It keeps me sharp, I just have to do my thing and keep travelling - another country knocked off.”
Reflecting on his goals he added: “If I play like I did on the back nine, I can do really well. Play well and keep doing the good things, make a lot of money,” he laughed. “I finished dead last in my first tournament this season but I’m trending and have got to keep going.”
International Series Macau presented by Wynn runs from Thursday 14 March to Sunday 17 March.
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League
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