Mickelson "Will Focus on Moving Forward"
Number of LIV Players Sued by PGA Drops from 11 to 3
[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] It has been confirmed that four players, including Phil Mickelson (USA), who filed a lawsuit claiming that the ban on participation imposed by the PGA Tour after transferring to the LIV Golf Invitational Series was unfair, have withdrawn their lawsuit.
According to the Golf Channel in the United States on the 28th, Mickelson, Taylor Gooch (USA), Hudson Swafford (Canada), and Ian Poulter (England) withdrew the lawsuit they had filed in the Northern District Court of California. These players participated in tournaments organized by LIV Golf and were sanctioned with bans from the PGA Tour, leading them to file a lawsuit alleging violations of antitrust laws.
After withdrawing the lawsuit, Mickelson released a statement saying, "I am focused on moving forward," and "The rights of players will be protected through the lawsuit, and I feel there is no longer a need for me to participate in the lawsuit."
The reason behind their withdrawal appears to be the court's dismissal last month of their injunction request to suspend the participation ban imposed ahead of the PGA Tour playoffs. They likely judged that it would be difficult to win in court over the antitrust violation claim. However, LIV Golf still maintains the position that "the PGA Tour's antitrust violations will be proven in court."
Originally, a total of 11 players participated in the antitrust lawsuit. Jason Kokrak and Pat Perez (both USA), Carlos Ortiz and Abraham Ancer (both Mexico), among others, had previously withdrawn from the lawsuit. With these four additional withdrawals, only three players remain as plaintiffs: Bryson DeChambeau, Peter Uihlein, and Matt Jones (all USA).
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