Phil Mickelson and 10 Other Golfers Pursue the PGA Tour

Six-time major champion Phil Mickelson and 10 other golfers now playing on the LIV Golf Invitational Series filed a “right to compete” lawsuit yesterday (Aug. 3) to rebut the suspension imposed on them by the PGA Tour.

In addition to Phil Mickelson, the other golfers involved are Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford, Matt Jones, Bryson DeChambeau Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Ian Poulter, Pat Perez, Jason Kokrak and Peter Uihlein. All are seeking temporary restraining orders to participate in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs, which begin next week.

“The Tour has ventured to damage the careers and livelihoods of golfers…who have the temerity to challenge the Tour and play in tournaments sponsored by the new entrant. The Tour did so in a deliberate and relentless effort to crush the emerging competition before it threatened the Tour’s monopoly,” the complaint states.

According to the statement about the lawsuit, the PGA Tour has threatened to file a lifetime ban against players who participate in the LIV Golf series.

The PGA Tour would have further threatened sponsors, vendors and players’ agents to force defectors not to play in a LIV Golf.

For its part, the LIV Golf, who are funded by Saudi Arabia, are right to have filed suit to challenge the PGA’s anti-competitive rules. As independent contractors, they are free to choose where and when to play, according to LIV Golf.

To attract the best golfers on the planet, LIV Golf has not hesitated to spend hundreds of millions of dollars and offer record prize money for its tournaments.