Top Golf Newsmakers of 2022: No. 17 Judge Beth Labson Freeman

The California judge is overseeing the courtroom battle between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. The fate of those tours largely rests on her gavel.

Who She Is: U.S. District Court Judge, Northern District of California

SI Golf Rank: 6 (Alex Miceli), 19 (John Schwarb)

Why She's Here: Born in Washington D.C., and later a Harvard Law School graduate, Judge Beth Labson Freeman was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2014 and has spent most of her judicial career in California.

An avid golfer, Judge Freeman will essentially set the direction of professional golf worldwide, with 2023 a precursor for the eventual LIV Golf v. PGA Tour trial that is set for January of 2024.

Other Top Newsmakers: No. 18 Max Homa | No. 19 Rose Zhang | No. 20 Henrik Stenson

In the hearings that have been staged following the original complaint that filed in August, Judge Freeman has demonstrated that she runs a tight ship. Both LIV Golf and the PGA Tour have experienced her focused approach as she’s made her rulings.

For example, in August she ruled against the LIV golfers who wanted to force the PGA Tour to allow them to play in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Along the way she put together an expedited schedule for trial that in normal circumstances could have extended to 2025, but she understood the importance of the case and found room on her 2024 calendar—and in that ruling, she was firm with both sides.

“Let me tell you that if it’s not this schedule, which I have found openings for, I’m setting trials in 2025, now,” Judge Freeman told both plaintiff and defendant attorneys when ruling on the FedEx matter in August.

Looking ahead, one thing is clear: Judge Freeman has the fate of professional golf in her hands, which made her one of the newsmakers of 2022 and someone we’ll hear more from in 2023.

2023 Outlook: Judge Freeman, and she alone, will determine where this case goes and how it gets there.

In 2023, there will be various motions that shift the direction of the case, but the most crucial is the possibility of Summary Judgement, where the court can grant victory for one side or another without the need for a trial, just by reviewing the facts and applying the law.

And while it would be rare in this case like this one for a grant of Summary Judgement, it's possible that Judge Freeman can rule on certain aspects of the case that would impact one side or another in the larger trial. So, again, the future of men’s pro golf largely rests on her gavel.