Phil Mickelson considering withdrawing from LIV lawsuit against PGA Tour

LIV Golf player Phil Mickelson may back out of an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour. 

Mickelson was one of the original LIV golfers who sued the PGA Tour in August, claiming that its indefinite suspensions were aimed at hurting careers. 

LIV Golf has since joined the lawsuit, which is why Mickelson is reconsidering. 

“I haven’t done anything yet, but now that LIV is involved, it’s not necessary for me to be a part of it,” Mickelson told reporters at LIV’s latest tournament at Rich Harvest Farms near Chicago, via the New York Post.

“I currently still am. I don’t know what I’m really going to do. The only reason for me to stay in it is damages, which I don’t really want or need anything.”

LIV Golf alleges the PGA Tour’s restraints forced it to raise its costs to sign players and kept it from recruiting others who fear the threat of being punished. It also claims the tour forced LIV Golf to delay its launch for 2022 and play a smaller schedule its first year.

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Mickelson’s exit from the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf was one of the moves that sparked a feud between the organizations. With other golfers following, the PGA Tour has indefinitely suspended anyone who left for LIV Golf. 

It’s also gone as far as revoking Players Championship perks at TPC Sawgrass for Cameron Smith, the No. 2 player in the world who went to LIV Golf.

LIV CEO Greg Norman said recently the PGA Tour “should be thanking” his organization that it has forced the PGA to make significant changes to its tournaments. 

“Since LIV’s come on board, the PGA Tour has stepped up,” Norman told ESPN Chicago. “They would never have done that without competition. Competition’s the best thing in any sport.”

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Changes to the PGA Tour include top players committing to a 20-tournament schedule with major financial incentives. Four additional tournaments will offer $20 million or more to go along with tournaments already in place. Top players will also be determined by a new Player Impact Program, which will double players’ money to $100 million. 

“The Tour players should be thanking LIV,” Norman said. 

Mickelson would be the fifth player to drop out of the lawsuit, joining Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Pat Perez and Jason Kokrak.