Jul 11, 2022 - Sports

PGA Tour under DOJ investigation over potential antitrust violations

Ivana Saric

PGA Tour Barbasol Championship — Kevin Streelman of the U.S. during the final round of the Barbasol Championship on July 10 in Nicholasville, Kentucky. Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images

The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the PGA Tour over possible antitrust violations regarding its competition with LIV Golf, a PGA Tour spokesperson confirmed to Axios.

Driving the news: The PGA Tour suspended the 17 players who took part in Saudi-backed LIV Golf's inaugural event last month, with other players who take part in future events facing the same punishment.

Ten of the 17 players had already informed the PGA Tour that they resigned from their PGA membership.

The big picture: PGA Tour players' agents have received inquiries from the DOJ’s antitrust division about the PGA Tour's recent actions regarding LIV Golf as well as the Tour's bylaws guiding players’ participation in other golf events, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.

LIV has alleged that the Tour's decision to suspend players who participate in its events is anticompetitive, per the Journal.

What they're saying: "This was not unexpected. We went through this in 1994 and we are confident in a similar outcome," a PGA Tour spokesperson told Axios in a statement.

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PGA Tour under DOJ investigation over potential antitrust violations

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