‘COMPETITIVE THREAT’

Phil Mickelson and 10 Other Golfers in Saudi-Backed League Sue PGA Tour

The golfers, who want to play in the upcoming FedEx Cup, claim the organization has an unfair monopoly in the golf world.

Eleven golfers who play in the Saudi-backed LIV series are suing the PGA Tour in hopes of securing a temporary restraining order that would allow them to play in the upcoming FedEx Cup. In an antitrust lawsuit that could have repercussions across professional sports, the golfers claim the organization has an unfair monopoly on the golf world, The Wall Street Journal reports. The golfers, which include Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, all signed lucrative contracts to play with the Saudi-backed league, causing the PGA Tour to suspend their right to play in its circuit, including the FedEx Cup next week. “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 golfers allege. The PGA Tour has faced increasing scrutiny in its fight against the LIV series, including a Justice Department probe launched last month investigating similar antitrust allegations.