Antitrust lawyer says LIV Golf players' TRO request "not for rich golfers"

LIV Golf players Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones have been accused of "fabricating an emergency" over their desires to play the forthcoming FedEx Cup Playoffs. 

The first postseason event is scheduled to take place at TPC Southwind next week for the FedEx St. Jude Championship. 

There is a $15million prize purse for the first playoff event, with $2.7million going to the winner. 

As part of the antitrust lawsuit filed last week, Gooch, Swafford and Jones have asked for a temporary restraining order (TRO). 

The TRO would allow them to play in the postseason. But the PGA Tour have now hit back. 

And they accuse Gooch, in particular, of being dishonest about the whole affair. 

In case you forgot, Gooch previously turned heads when he claimed he only wanted to play one LIV Golf Invitational Series event. 

That was the curtain-raising, $25million tournament at Centurion Club just outside of London in June. 

But after he was suspended by the PGA Tour, Gooch says signed up for the rest of the series. 

The PGA Tour argue that this is simply not the case and allege they have correspondence proving the players were aware they would be banned. 

They claim, per the documents, that Gooch had always intended to play more than one event. 

Antitrust specialist Craig Seebald reckons the three LIV rebels are likely to lose their first legal battle. 

 

 

 

 

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He told Golf's Josh Sens that the request amounts to "an extraordinary action".

"Asking a judge to step in and stop something while a case is playing out is not an everyday request," he told the publication.

"With a TRO, you're basically saying, 'the patient is on life support, and if we don't do something now, something dire is going to happen." 

Seebald says for Gooch, Swafford and Jones to be successful they have to meet a "robust legal standard". 

They have to prove that their case is likely to succeed on merits, he told the publication. 

Furthermore, they will have to demonstrate that they will suffer "immediate" and "irreparable" injury without relief. 

He also said they will have to show that their case is in the public interest. 

"Immigration, health care and abortion generate TROs. Not rich golfers," he said. 

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