The PGA is under the microscope of US justice for being unfair in its dispute with LIV Golf

The United States Department of Justice is investigating whether the golf course PGA he broke antitrust rules in comparison with his new rival LIV golf seriesa competition supported by capital from Saudi Arabia.

The report comes three days before the start of the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, the British Open, where players expelled from the US PGA circuit for joining LIV Golf can compete. The Justice Department declined to comment on the report while the specialized media Golf channel Y Summary of golf they said PGA confirmed the existence of the investigation.

The PGA has indefinitely banned players who competed in the first two events of LIV Golf, seventeen of them in the inaugural June tournament in England and another seven earlier this month in the United States. American golfers like it Phil Michaelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson De Chambeau Y Brooks Koepka are among the figures recruited by LIV Golf, which offers the greatest prizes in the history of golf, with $ 25 million per event.

Department of Justice investigators contacted golfers’ agents regarding PGA statutes governing player participation in other competitions and recent tour actions regarding LIV Golf, reportedly The Wall Street newspaper.

“This was not unexpected,” a PGA spokesperson said. “We have already been there in 1994 and we are confident in a similar result,” he said.

background

On that occasion the movements of the PGA were investigated when the former Australian golfer Greg Norman tried to start a rival circuit, but the investigation ended in 1995 with no action taken against PGA. Norman himself is now commissioner of LIV Golf, competition surrounded by controversy and protests by those who consider it a tool for Saudi Arabia to improve its international image through sport.

Research in the 1990s focused on banning PGA members from participating in competitive events, which requires a tour permit. These permits, which were sometimes granted to run events on other circuits, this time were not granted for LIV golf tournaments, which collided with the PGA calendar.

Norman called the PGA a “monopoly” and views golfers as self-employed while the PGA defends its right to take action against members who violate its rules.