LIV’s Uihlein Exits PGA Tour Suit, Leaving DeChambeau and Jones
And then there were two.
On Thursday, Peter Uihlein dropped out of LIV Golf’s antitrust case against the PGA Tour, leaving Bryson DeChambeau and Matt Jones as the remaining two LIV golfers in the suit.
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According to sources familiar with the case who were granted anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the details, Uihlein was recently sent notice of a deposition by the PGA Tour. This is consistent with the court’s schedule for depositions, which must be completed by the end of May.
The PGA Tour likely intended to ask Uihlein sensitive questions while under oath, particularly in regard to how LIV and its backers in Saudi Arabia recruited players and their agents. The PGA Tour contends LIV unlawfully induced golfers to breach their PGA Tour obligations, a claim LIV denies. Although leaving the case should excuse Uihlein from answering questions for now, he is still a witness and could be questioned at some other point.
When the case began last summer, then-plaintiff Phil Mickelson was joined by 10 other LIV golfers who were suspended by the PGA Tour for breaching contractual and membership obligations. Last September, Mickelson and four other golfers dropped out, while LIV joined.
The case has gradually morphed from one featuring golfers who were upset with the PGA Tour into a complex legal battle involving two well-funded sports leagues and with geopolitical ramifications.
As DeChambeau, Jones and LIV take on the PGA Tour, the tour has countersued LIV and its financial backer, the Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (PIF), and PIF’s governor, Yasir Othman Al-Rumayyan. The case is now playing out in two courts: a U.S. District court in California and the U.S Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. PIF and Al-Rumayyan have asked the Ninth Circuit to rule they do not need to participate in the case given their relationship to a foreign government. All of this is occurring while the Department of Justice’s antitrust division probes the legal ramifications of competition for pro golfers and U.S. and Saudi Arabia relations are strained.
The trial date was originally set for Jan. 8, 2024, but was recently postponed to May 17, 2024. The proceeding could face additional postponements, potentially lasting years depending on how long the Ninth Circuit takes to review PIF’s and Al-Rumayyan’s appeal and how the trial judge, Beth Labson Freeman, manages discovery while two parties (PIF and Al-Rumayyan) contest her order that they must appear in New York City for questioning under oath.
