A group of companies claiming that they first came up with the idea of a world golf league has filed a lawsuit against LIV Golf, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and others seeking up to $630 million in damages, according to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach.
The lawsuit was filed by lawyers representing the World Golf Group and Premier Golf League. They accused LIV Golf, the PIF, Golf Saudi and others of breach of confidence and unlawful means conspiracy. More specifically, two former World Golf Group founders, Richard Marsh and Jed Moore, are accused of breaching fiduciary duty for helping the Saudis launch LIV Golf in the first place.
“The Claimants conceived the idea for a new golf league called the Premier Golf League,” the complaint says. “Over the course of several years, the Claimants refined the format of this league and produced business plans, contracts, financial models and other intellectual property belonging to the Claimants, which provided the blueprint for its launch and success.
“The Defendants conspired together to use the Claimants’ confidential information without the permission of the Claimants to launch the LIV Golf League.”
The lawsuit was filed in Commercial Court in London on April 16. They are seeking between $210 and $630 million in damages.
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The complaint alleges that Moore and Andy Gardner met with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan to discuss the Saudis investing in the PGL, and that the PIF agreed to fund nearly half of a $1 billion investment into the new league in 2019. The PGL was going to be set up to how LIV Golf was initially, with 54-holes, team formats and more. Moore, Gardner and Marsh were eventually among 30 founders of the World Golf Group in 2018.
Al-Rumayyan signed a nonbinding letter of intent in November 2019 to invest $490 million into the league, per the report, but only if the PGL secured elite golfers.
Representatives met with several notable PGA Tour golfers and their agents after that, including Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose and Adam Scott.
But, despite contract offers being made to 11 top golfers, players were reluctant to sign both due to threats from the PGA Tour and others. The Tour and the DP World Tour eventually formed a partnership. It was after that announcement that the PIF wanted to buy the PGL.
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But terms of that deal were not ever reached, and LIV Golf was formed. The league’s first tournament was held in June 22.
The lawsuit said that the Saudis both rejected the PGL’s final asking price in negotiations, and then later asked Marsh and Gardner if they wanted to be involved in LIV Golf later on. Gardner responded and reminded them of the confidential terms of their past dealings, while Marsh resigned and joined the Saudis in May 2021.
“[Golf Saudi CEO Majed] Al-Sorour accepted that the Claimants had valuable intellectual property, personnel and experience that would be acquired in return for a financial amount and/or equity in the ‘golf enterprise,’ and that the Claimants would not be cut out,” the lawsuit said.
It’s unclear how far along this lawsuit will get, though LIV Golf is no longer in a solid place several years in. The PIF announced earlier this year that, after investing more than $5 billion, it would no longer fund the league. LIV Golf is currently trying to find outside funding to keep going beyond the 2026 campaign, which has four events left, and is also working on a potential shutdown plan if needed. Several notable LIV Golf players have left, too, including Reed and Brooks Koepka.
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