Players leaving for LIV Golf with the understanding they will not be welcomed back on the PGA Tour, then filing an antitrust lawsuit to gain access to both tours, is not adding up on Scottie Scheffler’s scorecard.
Scheffler, the top-ranked player in the world, said he is “curious to see” what will come of Tuesday’s hearing in San Jose, California, regarding an anti-trust lawsuit filed by 11 LIV Golf participants.
Of those 11, Talor Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford, could be allowed to participate in this week’s FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis, Tennessee, to open the FedEx Cup playoffs, if a temporary restraining order is granted by US district court judge Beth Labson Freeman.
Others plaintiffs in the suit are Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Carlos Ortiz, Ian Poulter, Peter Uihlein, Jason Kokrak, Pat Perez and Abraham Ancer.
“It’s one of those deals where those guys kind of made their decision to go join another tour and they broke the rules and regulations of our tour and now they’re trying to sue us, which is definitely a bit frustrating,” Scheffler said. “I heard that was going to happen and I know some guys aren’t surprised to see it, but I definitely am surprised to see some guys now suing us.”
Up to the courts
Scheffler, who moved to the number-one spot in the world for the first time this year, said he is trying to keep outside distractions at a minimum. He has done well in that regard during the current season, winning four times, including his first Major victory at the Masters in April.
“If they win, come out here and play, I mean, that’s something that’s up to the courts, I can’t control what’s going to happen in a court case,” he said. “Definitely interested, but at the end of the day it has no effect on my preparation for the week.”
As more defections from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf are expected after the current season, it remains a top of discussion among players.
“I understand we’re independent contractors, but at the same time there’s certain rules that you have to follow as being a member of an organisation,” said Scheffler. “We’ll see what happens. All that stuff will shake out in due time.
“It definitely is a topic of discussion around who’s going and stuff like that. I think there may be only a handful more guys that will leave and outside of that, who knows ... Yeah, it’s definitely a conversation, for sure.”
