PGA Tour, LIV Golf file motions in court to end a 10-month-long lawsuit war amid PGA-PIF deal

The legal dispute between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour has concluded. Following a hectic week, the Saudi-backed LIV and PGA Tour submitted a motion to dismiss their antitrust complaint.

On Friday, June 16, all parties voluntarily dismissed all claims after deciding to collaborate to form a new worldwide golf business.

The PGA Tour agreed to a merger with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is the backbone of LIV Golf, earlier this month, and they eventually dropped the case as a result of the accord.

It is worth noting that the original complaint was filed last August by six-time major champion Phil Mickelson, who was forbidden from competing on the PGA Tour after joining LIV Golf.

Mickelson and ten other LIV golfers filed a case against the PGA Tour, which was eventually settled after nearly a year-long struggle. The new filing states that "all parties bear their own fees and costs."

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Justice Department investigating the PGA Tour for anti-competitive behavior

Although the lawsuit was settled, the merger of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf was investigated, with the US Department of Justice investigating the PGA Tour for antitrust violations and reviewing the proposed arrangement.

When LIV Golf first appeared, the PGA Tour fiercely opposed it, stating that Saudi Arabia was destroying the competitiveness of the game by investing millions of dollars in it.

However, earlier in June, the Tour partnered with LIV Golf, raising various issues about the planned joint venture, led by a team comprising PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

According to a recent article from The Wall Street Journal, the planned contract is now being evaluated by the Justice Department, which is already investigating the PGA Tour for anti-competitive activities.

The Tour commissioner, on the other hand, is currently on medical leave, with Executive Vice President Tyler Dennis and PGA Tour chief operational officer Ron Price in charge of the operations.

Even in the absence of the commissioner, the Tour will continue to work on its new agreement and focus on the players.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan (Image via Getty)

Dennis spoke about the future plans of the PGA Tour in an interview with Golf Channel's Damon Hack on Wednesday and said:

"Last night’s news was a jolt. Our priorities don’t change. We are full steam ahead as a business. Our No. 1 focus will always be our players. That is front and center as we think about the business. We are going to continue to lead the day-to-day operations of the TOUR. We have a lot of exciting things ahead.”

He added:

“There’s a lot of exciting momentum. All of our priorities remain unchanged. We’re working very hard towards the definitive agreements. There will be a lot of news on that subject in the coming weeks and months. We have other exciting things, too, most importantly our 2024 schedule."

Amidst the battle, the PGA Tour and LIV golfers finally came together to compete at the third major of the year, the US Open, scheduled from June 15-18 at the Los Angeles Country Club in Los Angeles.