PGA Tour, LIV Golf file Joint Notice of Dismissal amid new partnership
The battle is over. After the PGA Tour and LIV Golf announced a merger earlier this month, the two have dropped their ongoing lawsuits against one another.
The announcement came as a surprise after PGA officials previously hinted that the legal battle with LIV could extend for another three to four years despite PGA commissioner Jay Monahan reportedly telling employees that the league “didn’t have the finances” available to continue to fight Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Now, the league won’t have to continue the pricy battle. According to Golf Digest, “There was a provision in the [merger] that called for all pending litigation between the tour and PIF to be dropped within 10 days. The provision was made official Friday afternoon in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California.”
History of the feud
The provision saves both PGA and LIV massive headaches. In August 11, 2022, Last August, 11 LIV Golf members sued the PGA Tour over their suspensions, claiming, “The purpose of this action is to strike down the PGA Tour’s anticompetitive rules and practices that prevent these independent-contractor golfers from playing when and where they choose.”
Just a month later, the PGA Tour responded with a lawsuit of its own, alleging the case had no ground to stand on.
“If anyone is competing unfairly, it is LIV, not the tour,” PGA’s claim read. “LIV has signed golfers to multi-year contracts containing obligations that are far more restrictive than anything in the [PGA Tour] Regulations, including a prohibition on participation in conflicting events that, unlike the TOUR’s conflicting event rules, does not allow for any request for release.”
A new deal
Suddenly, the two sworn enemies are working together. The PGA Tour and PIF will have until the end of the year to complete a new agreement regarding their lawsuits. If they fail to do so, the ongoing litigation cannot be reopened.
Even if the two former foes can put their differences aside, they have outside factors to consider. Earlier this week, the U.S. announced an investigation into the merger, stating it “raises concerns about the Saudi government’s role in influencing this effort and the risks posed by a foreign government entity assuming control over a cherished American institution.”