PGA Tour sues LIV Golf's Saudi backers to force evidence discovery

The PGA Tour has filed a suit against LIV Golf backers, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, an entity controlled by the Saudi crown prince, successful an effort to unit grounds find successful ongoing ineligible battles.

The deep-pocketed money has lured aggregate high-profile players, including Phil Mickelson, from the circuit aft which the circuit banned the players from competing successful its events. The conflict for endowment has led to respective lawsuits, lobbed successful some directions, and disputes astir grounds discovery.

The PGA circuit is asking a national justice to compel the fund's governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, to beryllium deposed and nutrient documents related to the league. LIV's lawyers initially agreed to cooperate with the discovery, but aboriginal reversed people and objected, claiming the league isn't required to comply with the requests due to the fact that their not U.S. citizens, according to a idiosyncratic acquainted with the ineligible dealings.

Representatives for LIV and for the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund didn't instantly instrumentality petition for remark from CNBC.

The lawsuit, filed Friday successful the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, is simply a continuation of a bid of antitrust claims betwixt the 2 organizations. LIV Golf sued the circuit alleging anti-competitive practices for banning its players, and the circuit recently countersued LIV Golf, claiming the upstart league was itself stifling competition.

Critics person accused the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund of "sportswashing," by utilizing the league to distract from the kingdom's past of quality rights violations. The league reportedly offered play fable Tiger Woods $800 cardinal to join, a proposition helium seemingly turned down.

LIV Golf doesn't yet aerial its matches connected a large network. Golfweek reported that LIV Golf, with the assistance of the money and 1 of its beneficiaries, Jared Kushner, 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," LIV Golf Chief Communications Officer Jonathan 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."

Meanwhile, the PGA circuit has taken to Washington D.C. to lobby against LIV Golf, and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, a erstwhile PGA Tour star, made his ain sojourn to Capitol Hill successful mid-September to "educate members connected LIV's concern exemplary and antagonistic the Tour's anti-competitive efforts."

The LIV Golf title volition instrumentality spot starting Oct. 28 astatine the Trump National Doral  successful Miami.