PGA Tour files lawsuit against LIV Golf financial backer as legal battles between rival leagues continue
The PGA Tour filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and its governor, Yasir Othman Al-Rumayyan, according to court filings obtained by ESPN. Taken before the Southern District Court of New York in Manhattan in the United States, the PGA Tour’s complaint includes 50 exhibits and a mandatory petition.
If obtained, this motion from a federal judge would force Al-Rumayyan to be removed from office as part of the original federal lawsuit between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf in California. As a result, PIF Saudi Arabia will be required to provide documents to the PGA Tour attorneys.
The filing is the latest chapter in the ongoing story of the legal battles between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. The PGA Tour filed a protest against LIV Golf in September claiming that by offering “horrible amounts of money” to golfers signed to the PGA Tour, LIV Golf motivated players to breach their contracts. .
Eleven players from LIV Golf previously filed an antitrust lawsuit in federal court against the PGA Tour alleging that the league is using its monopoly position to expel competitions. However, the number of plaintiffs in the case has dwindled as Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Jones and Peter Uihlein (as well as LIV Golf) are the only ones left. Phil Mickelson was part of the remaining eight golfers who requested disqualification.
Saudi Arabia PIF is the entity responsible for financing LIV Golf and holds investments with several other business ventures in the United States including Alphabet, Microsoft, JP Morgan and BlackRock. The fund has about $620 billion in assets under management and is key to Saudi Arabia’s plan to diversify its oil revenues and reshape the economy.
