Phil Mickelson and Ian Poulter among 11 LIV golfers to sue PGA Tour over suspensions
- Suspension means players such as Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed cannot represent the US in September’s Presidents Cup
- In a letter to players, the PGA Tour acknowledged that the 11 golfers had been suspended and indicated that the Tour was not inclined to back down
Phil Mickelson and 10 other golfers sued the PGA Tour over its decision to suspend them for playing the new LIV Golf circuit, according to an antitrust filing on Wednesday that revealed the Hall of Famer cannot apply for reinstatement until 2024.
The lawsuit was led by six-time major champion Mickelson and includes 2020 US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, European Ryder Cup veteran Ian Poulter, Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones, among others.
“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,” the golfers said in the complaint.
They asked the court to declare the punishments illegal and to award damages and lawyers fees.
In a letter to players, the PGA Tour acknowledged that the 11 golfers had been suspended and indicated that the Tour was not inclined to back down.
“These suspended players – who are now Saudi Golf League employees – have walked away from the TOUR and now want back in,” Commissioner Jay Monahan wrote in a letter to members. “We intend to make our case clearly and vigorously.”
In July, news broke that the US Justice Department was investigating whether the PGA Tour broke antitrust law in fending off the LIV Golf circuit.
