Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and nine other LIV golfers filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour concerning their respective suspensions, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Additionally, Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones want a temporary restraining order so they can compete in the Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs. The trio qualified before signing with the Saudi-backed league, and the playoffs are slated to begin next week with the St. Jude Championship. The playoffs have significant prizes, money and branding opportunities, and strong outings land the golfers in major championships.
The Tour suspended the players after they signed with LIV Golf, citing its bylaws. There are other LIV golfers that instead resigned from their memberships in wake of their move to the rival.
According to WSJ, LIV has already been considering filing an antitrust claim of its own against the Tour, stating they own a monopoly in the market. The Department of Justice is already investigating the Tour, which was first reported by WSJ.
The lawsuit from the golfers also reportedly sheds light on Mickelson’s status with the Tour. He stopped playing in wake of his controversial comments about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, and per WSJ, the lawsuit details that he was suspended back in March “for allegedly recruiting players to play for LIV, among other reasons, and his appeal was denied.”
Mickelson reportedly reapplied in June but the Tour did not reinstate him, citing his participation in a LIV event. According to WSJ’s Louise Radnofsky and Andrew Beaton, “It said he was forbidden from applying for reinstatement until March 2023, which was extended until March 2024 after he played the second LIV event.”
