A lawsuit filed against the PGA Tour by 11 LIV golfers alleges that the chairman of Augusta National Golf Club personally asked players not to join the Saudi-funded start-up.
Documents submitted to courts in California last week include claims that Fred Ridley, the chairman of The Masters host venue, made the request ahead of this year’s tournament as rumours about the mooted new enterprise were spreading through the game.
The complaint – countersigned by Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau amongst others – states: “Augusta National representatives threatened to disinvite players from The Masters if they joined LIV Golf.
“In addition, Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley personally instructed a number of participants in the 2022 Masters not to play in the LIV Golf Invitational Series.
• Brilliant Buhai wins AIG WOmen’s Open
• PGA Tour boss vows to fight LIV lawsuit
“Plainly, these threats to top players served no beneficial purpose, as they would only serve to weaken the field in The Masters.”
At the time of writing, neither Ridley nor Augusta National Golf Club has responded to these allegations.
During his customary pre-Masters press conference on the eve of this year’s tournament back in April, Ridley was asked for his “stance” on the potential for “rival golf leagues”.
…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Bunkered – Latest Headlines…