PGA Tour Extends LIV Bans For 2022/23 Season

In a report by Sports Illustrated, it has been revealed that a letter has been sent to the relevant LIV golfers who haven't given up their PGA Tour memberships, with the Tour announcing that they will not be allowed to play on the circuit in 2022/23.

The players in question include Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Pat Perez and all other PGA Tour players who did not resign their Tour membership when they teed it up in the LIV Golf Invitational Series tournaments. 

WHAT IS LIV GOLF?

In the letter, which was written by Kirsten Burgess, the PGA Tour’s vice president of competition administration, it states that: “The terms of your contractual commitments to LIV Golf prohibit you from satisfying the material obligations set forth in the regulations and make clear that you have no intention to, and indeed cannot comply with these requirements of membership in the PGA Tour.

“The Tour cannot enter into a membership agreement with a player when, as here, it reasonably anticipates the player will not perform the material obligations under that agreement. Accordingly, your PGA Tour membership cannot and will not be renewed for the 2022-2023 PGA Tour season.’’

As of writing, seven LIV players, including Mickelson and DeChambeau, have filed an antitrust lawsuit, with LIV Golf also joining the lawsuit against the PGA Tour after it filed an amended complaint in the US District Court in Northern California.

Within, the Greg Norman-fronted venture has said it is seeking "punitive damages against the PGA Tour for its tortious interference with LIV Golf's prospective business relationships." It adds, the PGA Tour is "an entrenched monopolist with a vice-grip on professional golf." 

The Antitrust Lawsuit surrounds the players who have defected to the Saudi-funded breakaway circuit that have been indefinitely suspended from the PGA Tour. It is that sanction they wish to challenge.

Jay Monahan and other Tour officials believe they are well within their power to ban any members who tee it up in conflicting events without permission and won out when Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones attempted to gain entry into the FedEx Cup Playoffs via a temporary restraining order (TRO).