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 Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund and the group’s governor, Yasir Othman Al-Rumayyan, in accordance with court docket information obtained by ESPN. Placed within the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, the PGA Tour’s grievance included 50 displays and a movement to compel. 

If obtained, this movement from a federal decide would power Al-Rumayyan to be deposed as a part of the preliminary federal lawsuit between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf in California. The Saudi Arabia PIF could be required to launch paperwork to the PGA Tour’s attorneys by means of discovery as a outcome.

The submitting is the newest chapter within the ongoing saga of the legal battles between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. The PGA Tour filed a countersuit against LIV Golf in September claiming that by providing “astronomical sums of money” to golfers signed to the PGA Tour, LIV Golf spurred gamers to breach their contracts. 

Eleven gamers from LIV Golf had beforehand filed an antitrust lawsuit in federal court docket against the PGA Tour claiming the tour was using its place as a monopoly to expel competitors. The variety of plaintiffs within the case has slowly dwindled, nonetheless, as Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Jones and Peter Uihlein (as nicely as LIV Golf) are the one ones remaining. Phil Mickelson was a part of the remaining eight golfers who requested to be excluded. 

The Saudi Arabia PIF is the entity which is chargeable for financing LIV Golf and holds investments with numerous different enterprise ventures within the United States together with Alphabet, Microsoft, JP Morgan and BlackRock. The fund presently possesses roughly $620 billion belongings below administration and is vital to Saudi Arabia’s plans to diversify revenues from oil and reshape its economic system.