Irish Examiner View: Golf's civil war is far from over

The recent court judgement was an important victory for the PGA Tour, but we can expect long, drawn-out court battles to come.

Henrik Stenson, right, of Sweden, greets former US president Donald Trump after winning the individual competition of the LIV Golf Invitational at Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey on Sunday. Picture: Seth Wenig/AP

The PGA’s win in a California federal court this week over Saudi-backed LIV renegades was not so much a pyrrhic victory, as the start of an anti-trust case which will be both long drawn out and potentially bruising for both sides.

Late on Tuesday, US district court judge Beth Labson Freeman threw out a request by three golfers on the LIV Golf Tour for a temporary restraining order that would have allowed them to take part in the PGA’s money-spinning FedEx Cup play-offs, which begin today in New Orleans. It was the first shot in what will be a long and messy battle.

The decision denied an attempt by Talor Gooch, Matt Jones, and Hudson Swafford to play in the St Jude Championship, the first of a three-tournament competition that includes the top 125 players in season-long standings.

In her ruling, the judge said the trio failed to demonstrate how their exclusion from the PGA Tour’s season-ending event amounted to “irreparable harm”, noting that they stood to earn more money by taking part in the LIV tour.

The temporary restraining order was part of a larger anti-trust lawsuit filed by 11 LIV rebels last week, who contend their careers were hurt when the PGA punished them for signing up with a competing tour.

The basis for the litigation does seem a little thin when you consider that LIV has offered some of the players eight- and nine-figure sums to join up and turn their back on the commitments they had made by signing up with the PGA in the first place. 

Undoubtedly this was an important victory for the PGA Tour, as was the judge’s assertion the players clearly knew what they were forgoing by signing with LIV Golf.

But this whole deal is far from over, and we can expect long, drawn-out court battles as well as further defections from the PGA to LIV, with increasing speculation that this year’s Open champion, Cameron Smith, is set to sign up with the rebels for an eye-watering fee. His countryman Marc Leishman is also said to be signing up.

With the US Department of Justice also now involved — investigating the PGA Tour for alleged anti-trust violations — the matter is becoming ever more complicated, but there seems to be little natural justice in allowing rebel players to have their cake and eat it.

And it is ironic that the $225m LIV series is being backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which critics say is a vehicle for the country to improve its global image in the face of criticism about its human rights record. One has to wonder if ripping asunder a successful international sporting endeavour is the best way of achieving the Saudis’ aims.