“Suspended players are now Saudi Golf League employees” – PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan responds to lawsuit by LIV golfers
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Jay Monahan on LIV Golf
As many as 11 LIV Tour golfers, including Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, on Wednesday, intended to file an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour. They took this decision after the latter suspended any defectors to the new controversial Saudi-backed golf series.
The other players on the suit list had the likes of Abraham Ancer, Jason Kokrak, Carlos Ortis, Pat Perez, Ian Poulter, Peter Uihlein, Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones — the last three of whom seek a temporary injunction to play in the 2022 FedEx Cup Playoff, scheduled from next week at TPC Southwind, Memphis.
The lawsuit states: “The Tour’s conduct serves no purpose other than to cause harm to players and foreclose the entry of the first meaningful competitive threat the Tour has faced in decades.
“The purpose of this action is to strike down the PGA Tour’s anticompetitive rules and practices that prevent these independent-contractor golfers from playing when and where they choose.”
“Allowing re-entry into our events compromises the Tour”
Meanwhile, PGA commissioner Jay Monahan took a strong stance and sent a reply soon after the lawsuit. The 52-year-old is outraged by this behaviour of the golfers while considering the tradition and history of the Tour. Notably, the six-time Majors champion and one of the top players of the sport, Mickelson has also been suspended for attempting to lure players to LIV Golf.
“We have been preparing to protect our membership and contest this latest attempt to disrupt our Tour, and you should be confident in the legal merits of our position,” Monahan said in the statement. “Fundamentally, these suspended players — who are now Saudi Golf League employees — have walked away from the Tour and now want back in.”
He added: “To allow re-entry into our events compromises the Tour and the competition, to the detriment of our organization, our players, our partners and our fans. The lawsuit they have filed somehow expects us to believe the opposite, which is why we intend to make our case clearly and vigorously.”
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Also Read | “They aren’t ready to give in” PGA Tour will not permit suspended LIV golfers to attend the FedEx playoffs
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Sachin Arora
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