The PGA Tour has filed a countersuit against LIV Golf, alleging the upstart golf tour lured players to breach their contracts by offering “astronomical sums of money.”
The countersuit was filed as part of the lawsuit by LIV Golf and some of its players in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The filing seeks “damages suffered as a result of LIV’s tortious interference with the TOUR’s contracts with LIV Players including any lost profits, damages to reputational and brand harm, costs, punitive damages, reasonable attorneys’ fees and pre-suit costs,” as well as a trial by jury.
PHIL MICKELSON AND THREE OTHERS OPT OUT OF LIV ANTITRUST SUIT AGAINST PGA TOUR
“LIV has executed a campaign to pay the LIV Players astronomical sums of money to induce them to breach their contracts with the TOUR in an effort to use the LIV Players and the game of golf to sportswash the recent history of Saudi atrocities and to further the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s Vision 2030 initiatives,” the PGA Tour says in its counterclaim.
The PGA Tour argues in its filing that LIV Golf persuaded players to join the tour by telling them the PGA contracts were unenforceable and that punishment would not be substantial. Included in the filing is a text message purportedly sent from LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman to golfer Sergio Garcia in which Norman says there won’t be an enforceable punishment for Garcia breaching his PGA contract.
“They cannot ban you for one day let alone life. It is a shallow threat. Ask them to put in writing to you or any player. I bet they don’t. Happy for anyone to speak with our legal team to better understand they have no chance of enforcing,” the text message from Norman allegedly said.
The PGA Tour’s countersuit alleges that “LIV’s interference with the TOUR’s contracts is unlawful.”
“The Tour has made these counterclaims in a transparent effort to divert attention from their anti-competitive conduct, which LIV and the players detail in their 104-page complaint,” LIV Golf said. “We remain confident that the courts and the justice system will right these wrongs.”
The lawsuit brought by LIV Golf players and LIV Golf against the PGA Tour concerns their suspension from PGA Tour events. Phil Mickelson and three other golfers asked to be removed from the lawsuit Tuesday.
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LIV Golf has received criticism due to its financial backing from Saudi Arabia.
