Phil Mickelson and 10 other LIV golfers have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, challenging their suspensions for defecting to the new Saudi-backed series.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in the Northern District of California by Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford, Matt Jones, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Ian Poulter, Pat Perez, Jason Kokrak and Peter Uihlein, according to multiple reports.
The lawsuit accuses the PGA Tour of trying to create a monopoly on the game of golf. The complaint claims the US-based organization was “threatened” by LIV Golf and “ventured to harm the careers and livelihoods of any golfer who has the temerity to challenge the Tour and play in sponsored tournaments by the new entrant”.
Mickelson was widely vilified when he defected from the PGA Tour and took a massive contract to join LIV Golf in early June.
This lawsuit is certainly not helping their reputation.
“Phil Mickelson basically told the PGA (which made him very rich) to go to hell when he took $200 million to play on the Saudi Blood Money Tour. Now Mickelson is suing the PGA because they kicked him out. The textbook definition of cocky. ass,” one fan wrote.
“In a game with more than a few, Phil Mickelson may be the greatest in golf,” said another.
“Phil Mickelson is a greedy piece of shit, I’ll tell you what,” added another.
The LIV Golf series is supporting this demand financially. Commissioner Greg Norman he recently told Sports Illustrated that the Saudi-backed series is “100 percent” in support of this legal action.
“I’ve always told them we’ll support you,” Norman said. “I have been open and honest with each and every one of them. We will support them financially with representation because we believe 100 percent that we are right. You can’t guarantee anything, but the indicators point to it.”
Mickelson was suspended from the PGA Tour on March 23 due to his recruitment of other players for LIV Golf.