{"id":1512447,"date":"2022-06-12T09:52:58","date_gmt":"2022-06-12T13:52:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1512447"},"modified":"2022-06-12T11:09:11","modified_gmt":"2022-06-12T15:09:11","slug":"pga-tour-could-face-legal-challenges-for-suspending-liv-players","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pga-tour-could-face-legal-challenges-for-suspending-liv-players\/","title":{"rendered":"PGA Tour Could Face Legal Challenges for Suspending LIV Players"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpga-tour-could-face-legal-challenges-for-suspending-liv-players%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1512447&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div id=\"speechkit-wrapper\" class=\"speechkit-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"speakable\">Now that the PGA TOUR has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/sports\/pga-tour-disciplines-golfers-liv-golf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">officially suspended seventeen players<\/a> for agreeing to participate in an LIV Golf event, the TOUR could face &#8220;a major&#8221; anti-trust lawsuit, according to some lawyers who specialize in noncompete law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\">&#8220;The PGA TOUR is really opening itself up to a major lawsuit with potential antitrust claims and also a situation where they can\u2019t justify what they\u2019re doing other than saying, \u2018We don\u2019t like competition,'&#8221; said John Lauro, a New York- and Florida-based attorney.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/640\/320\/Jay-Monahan.jpg?ve=1&#038;tl=1\" alt=\"Jay Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR, speaks at a press conference during practice for THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 8, 2022, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>Jay Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR, speaks at a press conference during practice for THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 8, 2022, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.<br \/>\n<span class=\"copyright\">(Keyur Khamar\/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;And the courts are going to be very concerned about why the PGA TOUR is doing this,&#8221; Lauro continued. &#8220;These issues are now being looked at very carefully from an antitrust perspective by the courts. The courts look very skeptically on any kind of restraint of trade, and that would be part of what the PGA TOUR is doing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>And if you take a look at the memo issued to members by the PGA TOUR, they certainly do sound nervous about the competition that LIV Golf presents.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/sports\/ian-poulter-pga-tour-power-struggle-liv-golf-appeal-ban\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>IAN POULTER CALLS OUT PGA TOUR FOR \u2018POWER STRUGGLE\u2019 OVER LIV GOLF LEAGUE, PLANS TO APPEAL BAN<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In it, PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan accuses LIV participants of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/sports\/liv-golf-officially-bryson-dechambeau-pga-tour-ban\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8220;turning their back on the PGA TOUR.&#8221;<\/a> He then gets a bit petty and nitpicks them for not filing the proper paperwork: &#8220;As you know, (the LIV) players\u2026 did not receive the necessary conflicting event and media rights releases \u2013 or did not apply for releases at all.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He also seems to judge the players for wanting to play for money.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons,&#8221; Monahan tsk-tsks.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/640\/320\/Bryson-DeChambeau.jpg?ve=1&#038;tl=1\" alt=\"Bryson DeChambeau waits to take his shot to the seventh bunker during the second round at the Masters golf tournament on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Augusta, Ga.\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>Bryson DeChambeau waits to take his shot to the seventh bunker during the second round at the Masters golf tournament on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Augusta, Ga.<br \/>\n<span class=\"copyright\">(AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Apparently, Monahan thinks the PGA TOUR is a charitable organization. But it\u2019s not. It\u2019s a well-funded business that, until now, never had to compete for golfers or audiences. The Saudis and LIV Golf have changed all that.<\/p>\n<p>According to Lauro and fellow attorney Jonathan Pollard, the PGA TOUR will face lawsuits for suspending the players and that they will have a tough time convincing a court that they had to do so to protect vital proprietary interests.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In order to enforce a noncompete agreement successfully, Pollard says that the PGA TOUR would have to demonstrate that player participation in an LIV Golf event would jeopardize &#8220;confidential information or trade secrets, protectable customer relationships or an extraordinary investment in the employee\u2019s education or training.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Those are the three biggest and most commonly litigated legitimate-business interests upon which a court could enforce a noncompete agreement,&#8221; Pollard said. &#8220;And, if you look at this situation with the PGA TOUR, none of those interests is even remotely present.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Not to mention, the suspension of the players just doesn\u2019t make much business sense.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/640\/320\/Jay-Monahan.jpg?ve=1&#038;tl=1\" alt=\"PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan speaks to the media during a press conference prior to THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 08, 2022 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan speaks to the media during a press conference prior to THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 08, 2022 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.<br \/>\n<span class=\"copyright\">(Cliff Hawkins\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;(The PGA TOUR is) going to have to drop their opposition to this,&#8221; Pollard predicts, &#8220;because nobody is going to want to watch the PGA TOUR if these top players aren\u2019t playing. Then that\u2019s going to hit their bottom line, it\u2019s going to hit their advertising revenue, and ultimately the market is going to force them to come to the table and make a deal.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&#038;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&#038;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\"><strong><u>CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The PGA TOUR is not going to stand by and back permanent or prolonged suspensions of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia. They\u2019re going to back off of these suspensions. It would destroy their brand. It would destroy their business.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>So, at least according to attorneys John Lauro and Jonathan Pollard, the PGA TOUR memo which formally suspended players is a legally-dubious gesture meant to maintain the TOUR\u2019s pro golf monopoly. We\u2019ll see whether any of the suspended golfers respond with a lawsuit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Now that the PGA TOUR has officially suspended seventeen players for agreeing to participate in an LIV Golf event, the TOUR could<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1512473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1512447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1512447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1512447"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1512447\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1512473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1512447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1512447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1512447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}