https://www.golfdigest.com/story/pga-tour-countersues-liv-mickelson-dechambeau
"In a Wednesday night filing, the tour asserts that the case is not about unfair competitionââif anyone is competing unfairly, it is LIV, not the tourââand accuses the LIV-backed lawsuit as a âcynical effort to avoid competition and to freeride off of the tourâs investment in the development of professional golf.â
âGolfers who join LIV must sign long-term exclusive contracts that require them to participate in all LIV events and prohibit them from playing in any tour events occurring in the same week as any LIV event [or any conflicting event whatsoever],â reads the counter. âLIVâs statements regarding golfer freedom are a thinly veiled public relations ploy concocted to disparage the tour and deflect criticism from LIVâs own restrictive business model.â
"Among the tourâs reasoning is that LIV requires players to compete in every event on its schedule, that players have surrendered their promotional rights to LIV, that players have requirements to show up to its marketing and sponsor events and that players canât respond to interviews or media appearances without LIVâs blessing. Any existing player sponsors also must be introduced to LIV, and that players must wear LIV-branded apparel.
Additionally, the tour accuses LIV Golf of a coordinated campaign of âongoing interferenceâ with contracts between the tour and players strictly so LIV can convince a court to alter the tourâs structure to benefit LIV at the expense of the tour."
