Phil Mickelson Among 11 LIV Golf Players to File Lawsuit Against PGA Tour for Antitrust Violations

As part of the lawsuit, Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones seek injunction that would allow them to compete in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Phil Mickelson is among 11 players who have joined the LIV Golf Invitational Series who are suing the PGA Tour for antitrust violations, with three of them seeking an injunction so they can compete in the FedEx Cup playoffs next week.

The players are challenging their suspensions by the PGA Tour, which issued indefinite suspensions for any player who participated in a LIV Golf event without obtaining a conflicting-event release. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California. SI.com has obtained a copy of the lawsuit, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

"LIV is paying. They have our back, which is nice for once," said Pat Perez in a text message to SI.com. "I’m glad the big players are behind it.”

The Tour announced it would not be granting releases for the eight events to played this year in late May; it has never granted such releases for domestic tournaments played opposite PGA Tour events.

“As part of its carefully orchestrated plan to defeat competition, the Tour has threatened lifetime bans on players who play in even a single LIV Golf event," the lawsuit says. "It has backed up these threats by imposing unprecedented suspensions on players (including the Plaintiffs) that threaten irreparable harm to the players and their ability to pursue their profession. It has threatened sponsors, vendors, and agents to coerce players to abandon opportunities to play in LIV Golf events. And it has orchestrated a per se unlawful group boycott with the European Tour to deny LIV Golf access to their members."

Bryson DeChambeau is part of the lawsuit, as are three players – Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones – who seek a restraining order so they can compete in the playoffs at that begin next week at the FedEx St. Jude Invitational and follows with the BMW Championship and then the Tour Championship. Gooch is 20th in the FedEx Cup standings, with Jones 62nd and Swafford 63rd, so each would easily qualify.

“The players are right to have brought this action to challenge the PGA’s anti-competitive rules and to vindicate their rights as independent contractors to play where and when they choose,’’ LIV Golf said in a statement. “Despite the PGA Tour’s effort to stifle competition, we think golfers should be allowed to play golf.”

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman told Sports Illustrated recently that LIV would support players who elected to sue the Tour due to their belief that as independent contractors they should not be prohibited from playing in LIV Golf events.

Norman has long contended that as independent contractors, players should have the ability to play whenever they want outside of the PGA Tour.

“I’ve always said to them we’ll backstop you,’’ Norman said. “I’ve been open and honest with each and every one of them. We’ll back them financially with representation because we 100 percent believe we are right. You can’t guarantee anything, but the indicators point that way.’’

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan released a statement Wednesday afternoon in response to the lawsuit.

“Fundamentally, these suspended players - who are now Saudi Golf League employees - have walked away from the Tour and now want back in. With the Saudi Golf League on hiatus, they're trying to use lawyers to force their way into competition alongside our members in good standing. It's an attempt to use the Tour platform to promote themselves and to freeride on your benefits," he said.

The other players taking part in the lawsuit are Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Ian Poulter, Pat Perez, Jason Kokrak and Peter Uihlein.

The complaint also discloses that Mickelson – long thought be suspended by the PGA Tour prior to his LIV commitment – was suspended on March 23 due to his recruitment of players for LIV Golf. The PGA Tour never disclosed this, nor did Mickelson.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.