PGA Tour make demand in LIV Golf battle days after Greg Norman's call for peace
Attorneys for the PGA Tour have asked a federal judge to delay legal proceedings after their latest motion against LIV Golf.
A crucial debate in the PGA Tour's legal battle with LIV Golf could trigger a lengthy postponement.
The judge overseeing the proceedings has already agreed to postpone the original trial date until 17 May 2024.
But the debate about LIV's backers - the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia - could take years to resolve.
The latest update came on Thursday when attorneys for the PGA Tour filed a motion demanding the PIF and its governor and mastermind behind LIV - Yasir Al-Rumayyan - comply with their pretrial discovery orders and appear in New York for a deposition.
Should they not comply, they asked the judge overseeing the litigation to postpone all discovery in the case pending PIF and Al-Rumayyan's appeal.
This appeal could take years to resolve.
Related: Greg Norman teases more LIV Golf signings
It was previously argued that PIF and Al-Rumayyan shouldn't have to comply with subpoenas in the U.S. as they are acting officials from a foreign government.
This argument has placed further scrutiny on the takeover of Premier League football club Newcastle United, of which Al-Rumayyan is the chairman.
The judge previously rejected the argument that PIF and Al-Rumayyan were merely just investors in LIV Golf.
This week attorneys for the PGA Tour insisted it would be:
This dispute started last June after the PGA Tour suspended 17 players for competing in LIV Golf events without releases.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan wrote in a memo to membership:
As a consequence, the suspended players filed an antitrust lawsuit to challenge their suspensions.
LIV Golf joined the action as a plaintiff, prompting all but three LIV players to withdraw from the litigation. The PGA Tour countersued.
Delays to proceedings means that players would have to continue picking between the two tours.
