Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Ian Poulter among 11 LIV Golf Invitational Series players filing lawsuit against PGA Tour | Golf News

“As part of its carefully orchestrated plan to defeat competition, the Tour has threatened lifetime bans on players who play in even a single LIV Golf event,” 11 golfers said in a complaint against the PGA Tour; the PGA Tour did not immediately respond to a request for comment

Phil Mickelson and 10 other golfers have filed a lawsuit against the PGA Tour

Phil Mickelson and Ian Poulter are among 11 LIV Golf players who have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour to challenge their suspensions.

The group includes three players – Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones – who are seeking a temporary restraining order to allow them to compete in the FedEx Cup play-offs, which get under way next week.

The complaint and application for a temporary restraining order were filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

Bryson DeChambeau, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Pat Perez, Jason Kokrak and Peter Uihlein are the other players putting their names to the suit, arguing the PGA Tour is trying to hurt their careers.

Bryson DeChambeau is another of the players included on the lawsuit

“The Tour’s conduct serves no purpose other than to cause harm to players and foreclose the entry of the first meaningful competitive threat the Tour has faced in decades,” the lawsuit states.

“The purpose of this action is to strike down the PGA Tour’s anticompetitive rules and practices that prevent these independent-contractor golfers from playing when and where they choose.”

The PA news agency has contacted the PGA Tour for comment.

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USA Presidents Cup captain Davis Love III has hinted at a major player boycott if LIV golfers are able to return to the PGA Tour

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Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood say they are unsure of their Ryder Cup playing status

Norman: Tiger rejected $700-800m to join LIV Golf

Tiger Woods turned down a sum in the region of $700-800m (£572-654m) to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series, according to the breakaway circuit’s chief executive Greg Norman.

Norman told Fox News the offer was made before the Australian was named chief of the controversial series, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

Tiger Woods has been critical of the breakaway LIV Golf Series

The interview, conducted last weekend during the LIV Golf event in Bedminster, NJ, aired Monday night on “Tucker Carlson Tonight”.

“That number was out there before I became CEO,” Norman said of the dollar figure presented to Woods. “Look, Tiger is a needle-mover, right? So, of course you’re got to look at the best of the best. They had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO. That number is somewhere in that neighbourhood.”

Woods has maintained his allegiance to the PGA Tour over the new circuit.

Speaking at the Open Championship in Scotland last month, Woods said, “The players who have chosen to go to LIV and to play there, I disagree with it. I think that what they’ve done is they’ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position.

“You’re just getting paid a lot of money up front and playing a few events and playing 54 holes. They’re playing blaring music and have all these atmospheres that are different.

“I just don’t see how that move is positive in the long term for a lot of these players, especially if the LIV organisation doesn’t get world-ranking points and the major championships change their criteria for entering the events.”