LIV Golf set for showdown with PGA Tour in US District Court

Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin reports on LIV Golf players suing the PGA on antitrust grounds on "Tucker Carlson Tonight."

The dispute over the present and future of global professional golf reaches the inside of an American courtroom for the first time Tuesday as three banned golfers seek emergency judicial help with getting a tee time into the PGA Tour's lucrative playoff bonanza.

Controversy over the new Saudi-backed LIV Tour has consumed the highest levels of the sport in recent months. A ruling in favor of the PGA Tour or its rebellious players who've joined the LIV circuit will have an immediate impact on what's likely to prove to be many years of contentious litigation.

The main lawsuit filed by 11 golfers, including Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson, drew international attention when it surfaced last week. They alleged the PGA Tour violates antitrust laws by prohibiting its members from realizing playing opportunities beyond the umbrella of the Florida-based organization that's been the dominant force in professional golf for decades.

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Talor Gooch drives from the 16th tee during the third round of the LIV Golf Invitational Series Bedminster, July 31, 2022, at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"As part of its carefully orchestrated plan to defeat competition, the [PGA] Tour has threatened lifetime bans on players who play in a single LIV Golf event," the players' lawsuit alleges. "It has backed up these threats by imposing unprecedented suspensions on players that threaten irreparable harm to the players and their ability to pursue their profession."

At issue Tuesday is an emergency