Report: PGA increase legal intensity with motion against LIV Golf's "The Boss"
Attorneys for the PGA Tour have filed a motion calling for LIV Golf boss Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan to disclose their business plan.
The PGA Tour's legal battle with LIV Golf keeps getting spicier.
Despite Rory McIlroy calling for a swift resolution to this enduring saga, attorneys for the warring tours are ploughing ahead.
The latest news - first reported by Rex Hoggard of Golf Channel - is that the PGA Tour have filed a motion seeking to obtain the business plan from LIV Golf boss Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan.
Related: How much every player won in LIV's first season
According to the report, the motion was originally filed in the Southern District of New York but it was agreed by attorneys from both sides to be moved back to Northern California where the antitrust lawsuit - filed this summer - will be heard.
Just three players remain in that lawsuit.
Bryson DeChambeau, whose father Jon recently died, says he is remaining part of it out of a matter of principle after alleging the PGA Tour owe him money from their inaugural Player Impact Program.
Bubba Watson, who has also made some interesting remarks about being paid under the table recently, also claims to be owed money.
Related: PGA Tour hit back over Bubba's claims
Peter Uihlien and Matt Jones are the other two players who are still involved in the antitrust lawsuit after eight players previously dropped out, citing a number of various reasons.
What do PGA Tour attorneys want from Al-Rumayyan?
According to the motion, PGA attorneys want Al-Rumayyan and the PIF to provide financial projections and the business plan for LIV.
The documents also state they want:
If you didn't know, Al-Rumayyan is known as "The Boss".
We reported last week that he and the PIF refused to cooperate with the subpoenas, citing sovereign immunity.
According to the redacted motion, he has not produced "a single responsive document".
Of course, PGA attorneys dispute whether he should be granted sovereign immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, considering that Al-Rumayyan reportedly travels regularly to New York for business and five of LIV Golf's $25m events were held in the U.S. in 2022.
In 2023, when the LIV Golf League will expand to a 14-event schedule with total prize money of $405m, there will be nine tournaments held in the U.S.
An official number has not been confirmed but it is believed that Al-Rumayyan and the PIF have already invested more than $2bn into LIV Golf.
It is believed that LIV Golf chiefs hope to recoup their investment through a much-needed TV deal as well as selling off their teams as franchises.
Dustin Johnson's 4 Aces GC dominated the team element of LIV this season, winning the $50m team championship in Miami at Trump National Doral.
Johnson has already made one transfer, replacing Talor Gooch with the aforementioned Uihlein.
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