The lawsuit, filed in federal court docket within the Northern District of California, challenges the indefinite suspensions imposed by PGA commissioner Jay Monahan upon those that performed in any of the Saudi-backed upstart tour’s first three occasions.
Henrik Stenson celebrates his win on the LIV Golf Invitational occasion at Bedminster on 31 August 2022. Picture: @LIVGolfInv/Twitter
SAN FRANCISCO – Eleven LIV Golf players, together with Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, filed an anti-trust lawsuit on Wednesday against the US PGA Tour, some searching for a restraining order to compete in subsequent week’s playoffs.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court docket within the Northern District of California, challenges the indefinite suspensions imposed by PGA commissioner Jay Monahan upon those that performed in any of the Saudi-backed upstart tour’s first three occasions.
The lawsuit begins a authorized showdown between the insurgent sequence and the established PGA Tour and whether or not the golfers are free brokers or as tour members are topic to guidelines and punishments of the PGA Tour.
With LIV Golf occasions providing document $25 million purses and a few players reportedly provided fats signing bonuses as effectively, some prime names joined the circuit regardless of criticism over Saudi human rights abuses.
“As the tour’s monopoly power has grown, it has employed its dominance to craft anti-competitive restraints to protect its long-standing monopoly,” the lawsuit claimed.
“Threatened by the entry of LIV Golf and diametrically opposed to its founding mission, the tour has ventured to harm the careers and livelihoods of any golfers… who have the temerity to defy the tour and play in tournaments sponsored by the new entrant.
“The tour has carried out so in an intentional and relentless effort to crush nascent competitors earlier than it threatens the tour’s monopoly.”
Australian Matt Jones and Americans Talor Gooch and Hudson Swafford want a temporary restraining order to be able to compete in next week’s first PGA Tour FedEx Cup playoff event at Memphis. They qualified based on season points before joining LIV Golf and being banished.
Other players filing the lawsuit include Mexico’s Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz, England’s Ian Poulter and Americans Jason Kokrak, Pat Perez and Peter Uihlein.
A memo from PGA commissioner Jay Monahan to players obtained by The Golf Channel said the tour was confident in its legal position regarding the suspensions.
“We have been getting ready to guard our membership and contest this newest try and disrupt our tour and you have to be assured within the authorized deserves of our place,” the memo stated.
“These suspended players, who at the moment are Saudi Golf League workers, have walked away from the tour and now need again in.
“With the Saudi Golf League on hiatus, they are trying to use lawyers to force their way into competition alongside our members in good standing. It’s an attempt to use the tour platform to promote themselves and to free ride on your benefits and efforts.
“To enable entry into our occasions compromises the tour and the competitors to the detriment of our group, our players, our companions and our followers.”
LIV Golf backed the lawsuit in a statement to The Golf Channel.
“The players are proper to have introduced this motion to problem the PGA Tour’s anti-competitive guidelines and to vindicate their rights as unbiased contractors to play the place and after they select,” the LIV Golf Series statement said.
“Despite the PGA Tour’s efforts to stifle competitors, we predict golfers must be allowed to play golf.”
‘IT’S FRUSTRATING’
The move came on the eve of the PGA’s Wyndham Championship at Greensboro, North Carolina, and sparked emotional reactions.
“It simply seems like a fast money seize for these guys,” said American J.T. Poston. “The cash that is getting used to battle these lawsuits are popping out of our pockets.”
As for LIV Golf players possibly in the PGA playoffs, Poston added, “I do not know if there shall be hostility however I do know there are some bridges which have been damaged. Some guys is not going to admire that.”
US 2023 Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson called the lawsuit “extraordinarily unlucky,” adding, “it is unhappy it has come to this. You ought to decide one and that is the route it is best to need to go.”
“You cannot have it each methods,” said American Will Zalatoris. “We’ve been grinding all 12 months and they’re doing one thing detrimental.
“I think a lot of guys would be pretty frustrated if they are allowed to do both. Deep down all of us share the same feelings.”
“It’s frustrating,” stated American Billy Horschel. “They made a decision to leave the PGA Tour. They should follow their employer. A lot of guys are not very happy.”