PGA Tour’s Fight With LIV Golf Reaches Justice Department

Mickelson has slumped from 38th in the men’s world rankings to 92nd. García has gone from 45th to 68th. DeChambeau began the year ranked ninth and is now 33rd, and Johnson, who was ranked eighth this year, is now 18th.

Mickelson, 52, was heavily criticized and lost several longtime corporate sponsors this year when he acknowledged he supported the LIV Golf series because he viewed it as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to leverage the PGA Tour for expanded payments to players. At the LIV competitions, however, he has seemed uncomfortable on the golf course.

He has shot better than 75 only once in two tournaments, finishing 10 over par at each event.

Last week, in a British court, three LIV-aligned golfers appealed their suspensions from a Scottish golf tournament and won a temporary stay allowing them to compete in the event. The commissioner of the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour, who had issued the suspensions against the LIV golfers — and fined each about $120,000 — vowed to continue to press the courts to uphold the discipline imposed.

Monahan remained confident of the tour’s position in its duel with LIV Golf as well.

Late last month, in response to LIV Golf’s plentiful tournament payouts, Monahan announced significant prize money increases in coming PGA Tour events, and added that the tour would “ultimately come out of the current challenge stronger because of our loyalty and support of our players and fans.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/11/sports/golf/pga-tour-liv-golf-doj.html