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Saudi World Golf Tour 2022/2023 Thread

Have not read the entire lawsuit, but the devil appears to be in the details of the remedies available in this case. What do they want? Do they want a ruling only that the LIV people cannot be suspended? Or do they want a ruling that the PGA Tour cannot restrict any member from playing on another tour, period? Do they go so far as to try to invalidate any restriction whatsoever on PGA Tour members? Gibson Dunn, Quinn Emanuel, and Baker McKenzie have taken the case, so they will make the best possible arguments. But whatever the result, if LIV prevails in some way, how narrow or broad the relief ends up will determine how significant the impact on golf and other sports will be.
I would not want to live in a world without irony. And this is the best ever. A country that leads the most infamous monopolistic cartel in human history is financing a group of Americans to sue The PGAT for being a monopoly. Add to that their last event was a rally for an ex US President who broke every norm of a democratic society, lost $300 million on golf courses before the US Taxpayers bailed them out, and you are looking at a scenario you just can't make up. I think I'd probably trade a wrecked PGA for an oil price without OPEC. It's just awesome to witness.
 
The last LIV event is at Doral. Doral has lost 80% of its value since Trump bought it. By the time that event arrives Saudi monopoly money will have changed that black hole. Count on it.
 
Then we add The Saudi Monopoly winners will use the Rule of Law in a free and open society with an independent Judiciary to launch a lawsuit that would be impossible in their own country. You seriously can't make this shit up.
 
US President goes and begs Saudis to lower price of oil or produce more. We can go a little for an arms deal, but don't forget, we may have to pay Tiger Woods a $billion.
 
The LIV players pleading is interesting reading. It's written as if the aggrieved party is the LIV Tour rather than the players. Naturally, because the LIV Tour (Saudis) are fronting the legal fees. Also, among the elements that the players must prove to win is "irreparable harm" if they don't play in the PGAT Fed Ex playoffs. These are "pro" golfers, which means they play golf for money. Each of the players has made more money from playing a couple of LIV exhibitions than they ever would have made over the next decade on the PGAT. Hard to see the "harm" the players have suffered or will suffer when their bank accounts are flush from the Saudi money grab.

As mack put it, incredible irony that the Saudis are trying to use anti-trust law to takedown the PGAT. Anyone proposing an antitrust law in Saudi would be body bag.
 
The LIV players pleading is interesting reading. It's written as if the aggrieved party is the LIV Tour rather than the players. Naturally, because the LIV Tour (Saudis) are fronting the legal fees. Also, among the elements that the players must prove to win is "irreparable harm" if they don't play in the PGAT Fed Ex playoffs. These are "pro" golfers, which means they play golf for money. Each of the players has made more money from playing a couple of LIV exhibitions than they ever would have made over the next decade on the PGAT. Hard to see the "harm" the players have suffered or will suffer when their bank accounts are flush from the Saudi money grab.

As mack put it, incredible irony that the Saudis are trying to use anti-trust law to takedown the PGAT. Anyone proposing an antitrust law in Saudi would be body bag.
The dream irony scenario is the 9/11 families lawsuit against the Saudis, which is alive and heading to Federal Court, arrives at the same time this case goes before a judge. Bags of popcorn.
 
mack, great stuff.

And again, the PGA Tour hasn't prevented anyone from playing the LIV tour. They can't do that. As evidenced by the players leaving to go play LIV. I don't remember seeing where a PGA Tour player has said they are not being allowed to go play the LIV Tour. That would be the guy that should sue the PGA Tour. But PGA Tour HAS prevented players from playing the PGA Tour anymore and they absolutely CAN do that.

Now keep in mind I'm not a lawyer. I just never really felt that I could do something like manage the vast legal complexities that comes with representing a guy like Matt Jones. I know my limitations.
 
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All these guys leaving the PGA Tour have said they don't want to play so much golf. But now they're saying they want to play:

All the LIV events (by contract)
All the majors
Some PGA Tour events - cherry picking the prime events to compete against the regular tour players
Some of the DP events
Anything else that can net a big payday
 
Yes and they said that the money they receive from playing LIV allowed them to now play less events and be home more.

You think regular PGA Tour players are going to enjoy getting paired with Pat Perez now in a PGA Tour event? The PGA Tour is protecting it's members/players.
 
Have not read the entire lawsuit, but the devil appears to be in the details of the remedies available in this case. What do they want? Do they want a ruling only that the LIV people cannot be suspended? Or do they want a ruling that the PGA Tour cannot restrict any member from playing on another tour, period? Do they go so far as to try to invalidate any restriction whatsoever on PGA Tour members? Gibson Dunn, Quinn Emanuel, and Baker McKenzie have taken the case, so they will make the best possible arguments. But whatever the result, if LIV prevails in some way, how narrow or broad the relief ends up will determine how significant the impact on golf and other sports will be.

Yeah this has always been the other sticking point. Let's forget for a moment that Norman has been openly lobbying against the PGA Tour for years, both in public and to far more private entities than just the DP Tour and the majors. Let's say they "win" and the LIV guys are unsuspended/unbanned. Short term, sure, it gives moron Talor Gooch a chance at millions for this year's FedEx Cup money. But after that, the PGA Tour is basically a giant system of made-up rules. How many tour cards are there? Who gets them? How do you retain them? How are players selected for each tournament? Is the court going to swoop in and dictate the rules for all of these ideas which change on a yearly basis anyway? Wouldn't they just continue to call them members but change the rules to make it impossible to honor both the LIV and PGA contract agreements so they'd basically be at the absolute bottom of the PGA Tour totem pole? Guess that might be good for the weakest tournaments, generate some noise when the LIV crew shows up to get heckled...

Maybe next up the courts will start determining initiation fees, member counts, and membership rules for country clubs.
 
All these guys leaving the PGA Tour have said they don't want to play so much golf. But now they're saying they want to play:

All the LIV events (by contract)
All the majors
Some PGA Tour events - cherry picking the prime events to compete against the regular tour players
Some of the DP events
Anything else that can net a big payday

Yeah that was a giant pile of bullshit.
 
Yeah that was a giant pile of bullshit.


Yeah I mean they want to go play the exhibitions to get their money and play the PGA Tour so they can play in actual golf tournaments and have a competitive golf career. They would be taking away slots and checks from guys that actually need them.
 
Think about this. The LIV tour is a monopoly. Seems you have to be invited to join. How does one compete to be offered? Oh darn. Your performance on other Golf tours. You know. The monopolies.
 
I would imagine it would be really difficult to stay sharp for majors playing a LIV format and trying to beat Stenson while carrying your teammates for 54 holes.
 
mack, great stuff.

And again, the PGA Tour hasn't prevented anyone from playing the LIV tour. They can't do that. As evidenced by the players leaving to go play LIV. I don't remember seeing where a PGA Tour player has said they are not being allowed to go play the LIV Tour. That would be the guy that should sue the PGA Tour. But PGA Tour HAS prevented players from playing the PGA Tour anymore and they absolutely CAN do that.

Now keep in mind I'm not a lawyer. I just never really felt that I could do something like manage the vast legal complexities that comes with representing a guy like Matt Jones. I know my limitations.

You have made Harry Callahan happy.

I am a lawyer but don't handle anti-trust. That said, as Mack pointed out, there is more irony here than Andrew Jackson being on the $20. I would think the LIV guys have little chance of prevailing. The other aspect about this suit is just how rude the plaintiffs are being to their former tour players. The guys who have stayed have basically said fine, go play your tour and make gobs more $$ while we make less $$ playing a meaningful tour. They've said some pointed things toward Greg and Phil but not the other guys. If I were a PGA golfer and had to play with 1 of these plaintiffs, I wouldn't talk to them or shake their hand afterwards because now they're coming after my money.
 
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