PGA Tour countersues LIV Golf in escalating antitrust fight

The PGA Tour filed a countersuit against LIV Golf precocious Wednesday, alleging that the Saudi-backed upstart league is blameworthy of anti-competitive practices.

The suit is the latest volley successful the conflict betwixt the bequest PGA Tour and upstart LIV, which is backed by Saudi Arabia's deep-pocketed Private Investment Fund and has been assertive successful wooing talent.

Several high-profile golfers, including Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, person signed monolithic contracts to articulation LIV Golf. Tiger Woods reportedly turned down an LIV connection worthy astir $800 million.

The PGA Tour upped its prizes and subordinate benefits successful August, wide seen arsenic an effort to lucifer LIV's enticing contracts. The circuit besides secured loyalty agreements from its apical players, arsenic fears of poaching remain.

Both leagues person claimed that the other's subordinate contracts and policies bounds restrict play endowment and forestall due competition.

"LIV has signed golfers to multi-year contracts containing obligations that are acold much restrictive than thing successful the [PGA Tour] Regulations, including a prohibition connected information successful conflicting events that, dissimilar the TOUR's conflicting lawsuit rules, does not let for immoderate petition for release," the PGA Tour said successful its filing Wednesday.

The PGA Tour declined to remark connected its countersuit.

The circuit has been lobbying successful Washington D.C. against LIV Golf. In turn, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, a erstwhile PGA Tour star, visited Capitol Hill successful mid-September to "educate members connected LIV's concern exemplary and antagonistic the Tour's anti-competitive efforts."

LIV Golf, Phil Mickelson and different players filed a suit against the circuit erstwhile LIV-affiliated players were suspended from circuit events. Mickelson and 3 others dropped retired of the suit Tuesday, but LIV Golf remains a plaintiff successful the case.

"The Tour has made these counterclaims successful a transparent effort to divert attraction from their anti-competitive conduct, which LIV and the players item successful their 104-page complaint," said Jonathan Grella, LIV Golf's apical spokesperson. "We stay assured that the courts and the justness strategy volition close these wrongs."

The Justice Department began probing the PGA Tour successful July successful hunt of imaginable anti-competitive behavior.

LIV Golf inactive lacks a U.S. media spouse and has streamed this year's tournaments connected its website and YouTube alternatively airing them connected linear connected TV. Reports person said that Amazon and Apple turned down a streaming rights woody with the league.

Most recently, Golfweek reported that LIV Golf was readying to wage Fox Sports to broadcast its 2023 season. Typically, channels wage leagues for the close to aerial competitions, not the different mode around.

"Recent reports astir media rights person been incomplete and inaccurate," Grella told CNBC successful effect to the Golfweek report. "LIV Golf is conscionable opening its process and is successful progressive discussions with respective companies astir broadcasting the LIV Golf League. We caution that nary 1 should gully immoderate conclusions astir imaginable media rights fixed that we are inactive successful the mediate of negotiations with respective outlets."