LIV golfer disputes course account of being asked to leave

Professional golfer Harold Varner III has publicly disputed the account of a public Indiana golf course that asked him and his group to leave during a round, with the two sides offering sharply conflicting narratives about an August 18 incident. Bear Slide Golf Club in Cicero, Indiana, stated that Varner's group violated rules by attempting to play as a sixsome instead of splitting into smaller groups, leading to their removal and refunds. Varner, a LIV Golf veteran, responded that the club's story contains "several inaccuracies" and maintains he was never personally banned or asked to leave.

The dispute centers on an event just days before Varner was scheduled to compete in LIV Golf Indianapolis, the final event of the 2026 season. According to Bear Slide Golf Club's statement, Varner had a foursome booked but arrived with six players. The club says staff informed the group they could play as two groups of three but not as a single sixsome. The course alleges the group initially complied for three holes before merging into a larger group on the fourth hole, prompting staff to ask them to leave.

In a statement posted to his Instagram account, Varner directly contradicted key...