The PGA Tour has countersued rival LIV Golf, alleging that the Saudi-backed league interefered with the tour's contracts by offering its golfers large sums of money to defect, The Athletic reports.
"LIV has openly sought to damage the tour's business relationships with its members by inducing them to breach their contractual requirements, even going so far as to pay members' legal fees to make breaching their contracts with tour more enticing," reads part of the PGA's Wednesday complaint.
In August, 11 players suspended for converting to the rival league sued the tour for antitrust violations; LIV signed on to the complaint later. But the PGA's countersuit now "essentially charges that if either body is guilty of anticompetitive behavior it is LIV because its regulations are far more restrictive to the players than the PGA Tour's," The Athletic explains. For example, LIV players are required to play in every league event and wear LIV gear at non-LIV events, among other mandates, The Wall Street Journal notes.
The PGA counterclaim is nothing more than a "transparent effort to divert attention" from the tour's anticompetive behavior, LIV responded, per the Journal. "We remain confident that the courts and the justice system will right these wrongs."
Just three of the 11 golfers who filed the original claim remain involved in the suit — Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Jones, and Peter Uihlein, per Reuters.
