Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau among 11 LIV golfers to file antitrust lawsuit against PGA Tour

[CatWoman]

Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and nine other golfers suspended by the PGA Tour for joining LIV Golf have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour on Wednesday.

In addition, three of those golfers are seeking a temporary restraining order from a federal judge that would allow them to compete in the upcoming FedEx Cup playoffs.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, requested relief that would allow Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones to play in the three FedEx Cup playoff events, starting with next week's FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis.

"The punishment that would accrue to these players from not being able to play in the FedEx Cup Playoffs is substantial and irreparable," the golfers' attorneys wrote in the lawsuit, "and a temporary restraining order is needed to prevent the irreparable harm that would ensue were they not to be able to participate."

https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/34341768/phil-mickelson-bryson-dechambeau-11-golfers-file-antitrust-lawsuit-pga-tour

[walkingman]

1. Scumbags one and all.

[MineralMan]

2. Haha!

You choose; you lose...

[onecaliberal]

3. I hope they go broke.

[bluestarone]

4. TO HELL with them ALL

They made their choice.

[BlueIdaho]

5. You made your bed

Now lie in it. Trumpers.

[rubbersole]

6. Blood money can be expensive.

They all knew what the ramifications of playing in the Bone Saw Tour event would be. Quit whining and go fuck yourselves.

[3Hotdogs]

7. I have a suspicion, they will win.

PGA is in restraint of trade with their policy. If the guys were disqualified because they were shitty at hitting the ball, that would be one thing.

I hope they lose. But I think they will win.

[CatWoman]

10. did you see response #8?

[PJMcK]

13. No, they won't

They had non-compete clauses in their PGA agreements, (known as the "tour card&quot .

Additionally, the PGA is a private organization, isn't it? Aren't they allowed to set the terms and conditions of their events?

Bonesaw Phil and the others are wasting their time and money on this lawsuit. They got paid hundreds of millions of dollars to play in the LIV Tour. They should enjoy their paydays and since they clearly don't want to follow the PGA's rules they should sit down and shut up.

In any event, I couldn't care less about these arrogant millionaires problems. I used to be a Mickelson fan. No more.

[CatWoman]

15. now we see another reason why Tiger turned them down

[PJMcK]

17. This was my post from the other day

I can't believe I'm going to write this

Tiger’s got ethics and class in this situation. Good for him if he’s maturing.

His life is his business and I don’t look to athletes for my moral guidance. But he has played lots of the best golf ever and he clearly knows how he got to where he is in life.

[CatWoman]

19. rec

[3Hotdogs]

22. Some non-compete clauses have been ruled overly broad and therefore, illegal.

Actions of private organizations have also been ruled to be in violation of the interstate commerce clause.

Now, I ain't no lawyer but I'd still bet on the guys. I hope I'm wrong.

[JT45242]

8. They signed a non compete clause as part of getting their PGA card

They do not have a leg to stand on. As part of accepting a PGA tour card, you sign a non-compete clause that states you must get approval to compete in other events. If you choose to compete without the approval waiver, you may be suspended or similar punishment. They usually have granted an exception for an event or two in the UAE with guaranteed appearance money (tiger woods has done several of those) but there was no way they were going to give waivers for tournaments in the US and other PGA countries.

They should have read the contract when they signed it.

I look at Bryson and can't help but think he might have gotten some of a biotech lab cream and clear ala Barry bonds.

[Cartoonist]

21. Isn't the non compete card the basis of their antitrust suit?

Sounds restrictive.

[msongs]

9. private enterprise suckas nt

[Sneederbunk]

11. The PGA has unclean hands.

[yonder]

12. It would be interesting to know if any in that elite group

had made previous comments about the Colin Kaepernick situation?

[lpbk2713]

14. They want the best of both worlds.

They have enough money. PGA should tell them to take a hike.

[Initech]

16. Fuck the LIV tour!

[Takket]

18. the PGA made it very clear BEFORE LIV that if anyone played in it, they would be banned

can't whine now that you ALREADY played in LIV and hard to claim financial harm when you made MORE money at LIV then you would have in the PGA

[bullwinkle428]

20. This lawsuit proves what foul hypocrites this group of cretins are - they claimed

they left the PGA Tour for the LIV Tour so they could make more $$ playing less tournaments, and as a result, they could "spend more time with the family".

They are literally suing for the ability to play even more events than they did before!