LIV Golf star's savage spray for rivals ahead of Masters: 'Full of s**t'

Harold Varner III has called out his fellow LIV Golf players in an explosive attack before this week's Masters tournament at Augusta National. The American is one of 18 players from Greg Norman's Saudi-backed competition competing at the Masters, which has opted against enforcing the PGA Tour's ban on players from the breakaway circuit.

Augusta National, like other major sanctioning bodies, has allowed LIV players to compete at the Masters this year based on their qualification process. It means the likes of Australia's British Open champion Cameron Smith will take to iconic course alongside other major winners to have defected to the rebel circuit such as Bryson DeChambeau, Louis Oosthuizen and Brooks Koepka. LIV's former Masters champions Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel all have exemptions to compete at Augusta National.

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Varner III - currently ranked No.60 in the world - initially rejected overtures from Norman's rebel competition to join the cashed-up LIV Golf, before signing for a reported $20 million fee. Unlike some of his rival players though, the 32-year-old admitted that LIV Golf's eye-watering offer was “simply too good of a financial breakthrough” to pass up.

The American's honesty about his move is in stark contrast to compatriots Mickelson and Johnson, who claimed their defection was about growing the sport, not the staggering sign-on fees that accompanied their respective moves. Mickelson was reportedly paid a staggering US$280 million ($418 million AUD) to jump ship, while Johnson pocketed around US$150 million ($224 million AUD).

Speaking ahead of the Masters, Varner III has called on his fellow LIV Golf rivals to speak honestly about why they opted to turn their back on the PGA Tour. “They’re full of s***,” Varner told the Washington Post.

“I tell them all the time, all of them, you didn’t come here to f***ing grow the game.” Varner III says he can't understand the furore around LIV Golf players being banned from competing on the PGA Tour, insisting his colleagues simply have to accept the consequences of their actions.

“If you said I can’t play in the majors, I’d be fine,” Varner added. “I’ve accepted that. I was cool with it.

“But some of these motherf***ers want their cake and eat it too. Like, dude you knew it was going to be bad. Like going against the US government. Good luck man.”

Greg Norman not invited to attend 2023 Masters

LIV Golf CEO Norman has promised a huge celebration from his full contingent of players if one of them can claim the coveted green jacket at Augusta. The Aussie golf great won't there to join in any potential celebration, however, after Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley confirmed he had not been invited back this year, in a move Norman slammed as being "petty".

"We did not extend an invitation to Mr. Norman," Ridley said. "The primary issue and the driver there is that I want the focus this week to be on the Masters competition, on the great players that are participating, the greatest players in the world.

"I would also add that, in the last 10 years, Greg Norman has only been here twice, and I believe one of those was as a commentator for Sirius Radio. It really was to keep the focus on the competition."

As for whether Norman - who won two British Open titles during a decorated career - could be invited in the future, Ridley refused to close the door entirely but did not exactly offer an olive branch either. "It's hard to answer that question because I don't know where the world is going to be next year or two years from now," Ridley said. "But as I stated, I would never say never."

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