Golf: LIV lawyers claim 'virtually zero' revenue in 2022
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The PGA Tour alleges LIV Golf interfered with its contract with players.
PHOTO: AFP
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LOS ANGELES – In a motion filed with the United States District Court for Northern California on Monday, LIV Golf’s attorneys claimed that the circuit is generating virtually no revenue.
LIV Golf, financed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund Public Investment Fund (PIF), asked US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman to deny the PGA Tour’s motion for leave to add the PIF and its governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, as plaintiffs in the Tour’s countersuit against LIV Golf.
The PGA Tour alleges LIV Golf interfered with its contract with players. The PGA Tour’s attorneys on Monday requested a conference hearing with Freeman to discuss whether the January 2024 trial date, along with discovery deadlines, should be delayed because the PIF has allegedly failed to comply with discovery and depositions.
The sides’ arguments will be heard by Freeman in a Feb 24 case management conference.
“The Tour’s motion to amend should be denied because the amendment would be futile, would cause unfair prejudice, was unduly delayed, and is obviously intended to inappropriately delay the case and resolution of plaintiffs’ antitrust claims,” LIV Golf’s attorneys wrote in Monday’s motion.
“Delay will equally harm LIV because the Tour continues its anti-competitive conduct while the litigation is pending. The Tour has damaged LIV’s brand, driven up its costs by hundreds of millions of dollars, and driven down revenues to virtually zero.”
The fight between the two tours began when 11 professional golfers, including Phil Mickelson, Talor Gooch and Matt Jones, sued the PGA Tour in August 2022 for suspending them after they signed on with LIV Golf. LIV Golf joined the suit in September, prompting eight players including Mickelson, Gooch and others to withdraw from the suit.
The PGA Tour then countersued, claiming LIV Golf’s alleged interference with its players’ contracts harmed its brand and reputation.
LIV Golf claims the PGA Tour is a monopolist seeking to sabotage a competing player in the professional golf industry.
LIV Golf’s second season, which includes 14 tournaments, is slated to open from Feb 24-26 at El Camaleon Golf Course in Mayakoba, Mexico.
The circuit unveiled the 12 four-man teams and captains for the season on Tuesday.
Two teams from the inaugural 2022 season have changed names. Bubba Watson will captain the RangeGoats GC (formerly Niblicks GC), while Cameron Smith leads the Ripper GC (Punch GC).
Dustin Johnson is the captain of 4 Aces GC, the defending team champions.
The other teams (and captains) are: Cleeks GC (Martin Kaymer), Crushers GC (Bryson DeChambeau), Fireballs GC (Sergio Garcia), Hyflyers GC (Mickelson), Iron Heads GC (Kevin Na), Majesticks GC (Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson), Smash GC (Brooks Koepka), Stinger GC (Louis Oosthuizen) and Torque GC (Joaquin Niemann). REUTERS, BLOOMBERG
