The LIV Golf Invitational Series just concluded its fourth event as drama continues to follow the new league.
The professional golf tour was formed earlier this year and financed by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia.
LIV Golf competes directly against the PGA and has created a rift in the golf community. The PGA opposed both the LIV tour and any players that have joined.
According to CBS Sports, the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) have not recognized LIV Golf.
Despite this, the league has attracted many big names, including former world number one Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen and Patrick Reed.
Reed left the PGA Tour for LIV in June and is seeking $750 million in damages from The Golf Channel, and analyst Brandel Chamblee on allegations of defamation of character, according to SBNation.
The suit was filed at the beginning of the month. In his case, Reed claims that the networks are colluding with the PGA to slander LIV Golf. He also alleges they tried to “label Reed as a cheater, and further mock his decision to leave for the Saudi-backed golfing enterprise,” SBNation said.
Now Tiger Woods and Rory Mcllroy, two of the biggest names in golf, have reportedly been served subpoenas by Reed’s lawyers.
According to Golf Week, Larry Klayman is attempting to bring the superstars to court to testify about the players-only meeting that took place during the week of the BMW Championship in Wilmington, Delaware.
He claimed through Golf Week that “the changes the PGA Tour revealed Wednesday are an attempt to ‘emulate LIV Golf, while continuing to allegedly harm LIV and its players by, among other alleged anticompetitive acts, denying them world ranking points to compete in major tournaments such as the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA Championship.’”.
Woods was given notice to appear on Sept. 21, Mcllroy on Sept. 22, and PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan on Sept. 27.
According to SBNation, the trial is set to be heard in the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. It could “set a precedent on what is considered fair and unfair treatment of athletes by analysts and critics.”
