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.