Phil Mickelson during round one of the Safeway Open golf tournament in Napa, California, on Sept. 10. Photo: Santiago Mejia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
Phil Mickelson and three other golfers dropped out of an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, according to court documents filed on Tuesday.
Why it matters: The federal lawsuit seeks to challenge golfers' suspensions from the tour after they chose to participate in LIV Golf, a new Saudi-backed series that's lured several top players away from the PGA Tour.
- The Justice Department opened an investigation into the PGA Tour over antitrust violations in July.
What they're saying: "Plaintiff, Phil Mickelson voluntarily dismisses without prejudice his claims against Defendant," one of the filings reads.
- Talor Gooch, Ian Poulter and Hudson Swafford also asked to be removed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
The big picture: Four other golfers who were included in the original suit —Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Pat Perez and Jason Kokrak — are no longer part of it, according to ESPN.
- Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Jones and Peter Uihlein remain plaintiffs, as well as LIV Golf, which joined a few weeks after the lawsuit was filed.
Go deeper: PGA Tour denies membership for LIV players