Phil Mickelson + 10 More From LIV Golf File Antitrust Lawsuit Against PGA Tour
The PGA Tour chose to suspend 17 golfers, including Phil Mickelson, for playing in the Saudi-backed LIV event.
LIV Golf called the decision “vindictive” and said it “deepens the divide between the Tour and its members.”
The PGA Tour is getting a taste of its own medicine.
As a result, the suspended players are fighting back due to their unjust suspension.
Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, and 9 other golfers from LIV Golf are suing the PGA Tour over being suspended, the Wall Street Journal first reported on Wednesday.
Talor Gooch, Matt Jones, and Hudson Swafford are among the LIV golfers part of the antitrust lawsuit.
They are seeking a temporary restraining order to play in the Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs, which start next week in Memphis, Tennessee.
All 3 had qualified for the playoffs until they were suspended for their decision to participate in the LIV golf tour…
The LIV Tour has received controversy for being sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
The LIV Golf series is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) — a sovereign wealth fund chaired by Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia — and has pledged to award $250 million in total prize money.
Tiger Woods turned down a $700-$800 million offer to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.
Abraham Ancer, Jason Kokrak, Carlos Ortiz, Pat Perez, Ian Poulter, and Peter Uihlein are among the other players involved in the lawsuit.
“As the Tour’s monopoly power has grown, it has employed its dominance to craft an arsenal of anticompetitive restraints to protect its long-standing monopoly,” the lawsuit, which was obtained by Golfweek, states. “Now, threatened by the entry of LIV Golf, Inc. (“LIV Golf”), and diametrically opposed to its founding mission, the Tour has ventured to harm the careers and livelihoods of any golfers, including Plaintiffs Phil Mickelson, Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford, Matt Jones, Bryson DeChambeau, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Ian Poulter, Pat Perez, Jason Kokrak, and Peter Uihlein (“Plaintiffs”), who have the temerity to defy the Tour and play in tournaments sponsored by the new entrant. The Tour has done so in an intentional and relentless effort to crush nascent competition before it threatens the Tour’s monopoly.”
The suit sheds light on what had long been suspected, that Mickelson was suspended by the PGA Tour in March for allegedly recruiting players to LIV, though Mickelson had yet to confirm as much until now.
The PGA Tour’s Response
The PGA Tour issued a response to the lawsuit on Wednesday, saying in part, “It’s an attempt to use the Tour platform to promote themselves and to freeride on your benefits and efforts.”
The Tour is reportedly being investigated by the Justice Department over anti-competitive behavior.
“We welcome good, healthy competition,” said Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner.
“The LIV Saudi Golf League is not that. It’s an irrational threat; one not concerned with the return on investment or true growth of the game.”
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ABOUT THE WRITER:
Elena Patestas is a journalist and writer for Valuetainment media. She attended Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, and Adelphi University on Long Island, New York. She was born and raised in Roslyn, New York, and currently lives in Miami, Florida.
Elena is passionate about bringing positive change to our world and believes education is the root to solving many societal problems. After overcoming a chronic health condition, Elena became passionate about health and believes food is the key to preventing dis-ease and achieving optimum health.
Amongst her many goals, she hopes to bring positive, impactful change to our world to create a healthy, financially sound, and unified society.
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