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Speaking to reporters at Rich Harvest Farms ahead of this
weekend's LIV Golf Invitational Chicago, Mickelson expressed his
confidence in the suit now that the LIV Golf entity has joined
its players in it.
"Now that LIV is involved, it's not necessary for me to be
involved," Mickelson said. "I currently still am. I don't know
what I'm going to do, really.
"The only reason for me to stay in is (monetary) damages, which
I don't really want or need anything. I do think it's important
that the players have the right to play when and where they
want, when and where they qualify for. And now that LIV is a
part of it, that will be accomplished if and when they win."
Eleven members of LIV Golf originally came together to bring the
suit against the PGA Tour in August. They sought to challenge
their suspension from the PGA Tour for participating in the
first LIV event without the tour's consent.
Since then, Jason Kokrak, Pat Perez and Mexico's Carlos Ortiz
and Abraham Ancer dropped out of the lawsuit.
If Mickelson also drops out, it would leave Bryson DeChambeau,
Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford, Peter Uihlein, Matt Jones of
Australia and England's Ian Poulter as the remaining plaintiffs,
along with LIV Golf itself.
"Banning Plaintiffs and other top professional golfers from its
own events degrades the Tour's strength of field and diminishes
the quality of the product that it offers to golf fans by
depriving them from seeing many top golfers participate in Tour
events," the lawsuit argues. "The only conceivable benefit to
the Tour from degrading its own product in this manner is the
destruction of competition. Indeed, the Tour has conceded its
nakedly anticompetitive purpose in attacking and injuring the
players."
Mickelson is no longer interested in returning to the PGA Tour,
saying at the previous LIV event in the Boston area that he has
"moved on" and trying to build LIV into a world-class golf
league.
--Field Level Media
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