The best golfers on the planet are prepping for the first Major of the season. With only a few days left for the Masters, the list of participants is almost complete. While the invitations were sent to a limited group of golfers, is the talented Harold Varner III invited to Augusta National this week?

After months of speculation, Varner III joined LIV Golf for a reported $15 million upfront in August of last year. Though he initially rejected the idea of joining the lucrative Tour after consulting with his sponsor and NBA legend, Michael Jordan, the golfer eventually joined the new Tour in later months.

Nonetheless, following his move, the Ohio-born golfer is facing the repercussions of the Saudi-funded Tour. But does this mean LIV Golf players, including Varner, aren’t invited to the Augusta National Golf Course?

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Is Harold Varner III invited to the Masters?

Though initially, they were many speculations of a suspension on the breakaway Tour defectors from competing in Majors, the fans were given a clear statement at the end of last year. The Augusta National Golf Club confirmed the eligibility of LIV Golf players to compete in the Masters.

Nonetheless, for a defector to receive an invitation to the illustrious Major, he must fall under any of the listed eligibility criteria. One of them is by winning any Major apart from the Masters, and consequently receiving an invitation for the next five years. Winning the Green Jacket can also get the golfer an invitation of a lifetime.

Read More: After His Massive Setback, Is Sergio Garcia Still Eligible to Play at the 2023 Masters?

Unfortunately for Harold Varner III, he has yet to add a Major silverware to his trophy cabinet. Other eligibility criteria include winning a PGA Tour event in the season or ranking among the top 50 golfers in the world. Since Varner III is a LIV Golf star he won’t be able to fulfill the first criterion. Nonetheless, he was ranked among the top 50 in the previous calendar year which makes him eligible for this year’s Masters.

Varner III is currently ranked at 57th in World Golf Ranking, but despite that, it is confirmed that the golfer will receive an invite to Augusta National. Since LIV Golf is eagerly fighting for the OWGR points, until then, its defectors will suffer. Though Harold Varner III merely qualified for the first Major of the season next week, has he ever competed at the Masters?

Has Varner ever played at Augusta National?

The 32-year-old golfer turned pro back in 2012. Though he got to participate in several Majors in the initial phase of his career, Harold only competed at the Masters last year for the first time.

While making his Augusta National debut, the now LIV defector finished tied to 23rd position after scoring 3 over par. With no OWGR points in the foreseeable future, Varner’s only hope for receiving an invitation next year is by winning any of the other Majors in the rest of the season.

If only he had won the Masters last year, he would have received a lifetime invitation to Augusta National. Nonetheless, he now has to go through difficult routes to be eligible for the iconic Major.

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