LIV golfers file antitrust lawsuit against PGA Tour

May 22, 2021; Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA; Phil Mickelson reacts on the first green during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

A group of LIV golfers is taking major action against the PGA Tour in a bid to play in the FedEx Cup Playoffs beginning next week.

Eleven members of LIV Golf, including Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour on Wednesday, according to Louise Radnofsky and Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal. Three of the plaintiffs — Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones — are seeking a temporary restraining order in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California that would allow them to take part in next week’s FedEx Cup event, which all three had qualified for prior to their defections to LIV.

The Tour is reportedly expected to respond by defending its practices and arguing that the plaintiffs do not face a real emergency, had been aware of the situation for some time, and would be costing other golfers opportunities by insisting on their participation.

This does not come as a surprise, as LIV had indicated for some time that legal proceedings were an inevitability if the PGA Tour followed through on excluding LIV golfers from major events. Once the Tour followed through on that threat by suspending all defectors, this was only a matter of time.

The controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit has attracted a number of top players, partly by offering substantially more money and more luxurious accommodations to those who join. The Tour has responded by attempting to block any defectors from participating in Tour events and established majors.