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PGA Under Anti-Competitive Investigation After LIV Golf Crackdown

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PGA Under Anti-Competitive Investigation After LIV Golf Crackdown

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating the PGA tour for anti-competitive responses amidst the ongoing dispute with Saudi backed LIV Golf.

According to reports, player suspensions, threats to players considering joining LIV Golf and world ranking processes have prompted the inquiry.

In a longstanding feud between the Golf organisations since LIV’s insertion, the investigation comes after more than 20 PGA players faced suspensions for competing in LIV Golf’s first two events.

in May, on the PGA preventing it’s athletes from playing, Chief executive, LIV Golf, Greg Norman, noted the move as: “anti-fan and anti-golfer.”

In a recent statement to ESPN, the PGA Tour said the investigation “was not unexpected.”

Considering the 48 players who were not awarded ranking points in LIV Golf’s first two events, ESPN reports the current investigation is assessing if the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour, and major governing bodies are set to award no world ranking point to LIV Golf players.

Dating back to 1994, in similar circumstances, the PGA circuit under investigation by US’ Federal Trade Commission for an anti-trust law breach, in which the circuit required its members to obtain releases to compete in golf events outside of the PGA tour.

The PGA was not penalised for the 1994 investigation.

“We went through this in 1994 and we are confident in a similar outcome,” the PGA’s statement said.

Recently increasing purses to retain top athletes, the PGA joining with the DP world tour, newly announced a 13-year partnership expanding on player opportunities and prize funds.

Initial turbulence between the organisations come after, LIV Golf attracted the spotlight due to its funding from Saudi backed The Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The tournament was resultantly labelled as another example of Saudi Arabia ‘sports washing’ it’s poor human rights record.

Commenting on the criticism, LIV Golf’s, Greg Norman, said: “We [LIV Golf] are independent.”

“I do not answer to Saudi Arabia,” Norman said.

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