PGA Tour files countersuit against LIV Golf in antitrust battle

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

The PGA Tour has filed a countersuit in response to LIV Golf’s antitrust lawsuit, claiming that the rival Saudi-backed circuit has encouraged its members "to breach their Tour agreements" and "free ride off of the Tour’s investment in the development of professional golf."

The countersuit was filed in a federal court in northern California on Wednesday in response to the amended lawsuit, which now includes LIV Golf and just three of the original 11 plaintiffs that first filed the lawsuit back in August. 

LIV CEO and commissioner Greg Norman watches play on the third hole during the final round of the LIV Golf Invitational Series Chicago at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"Indeed, a key component of LIV’s strategy has been to intentionally induce Tour members to breach their Tour agreements and play in LIV events while seeking to maintain their Tour memberships and play in marquee Tour events like The Players Championship and the FedEx Cup Playoffs, so LIV can free ride off the Tour and its platform," the countersuit reads, via Golf Week.

LIV GOLF’S PHIL MICKELSON, 3 OTHERS DROP OUT OF ANTITRUST LAWSUIT AGAINST PGA TOUR

"LIV has openly sought to damage the Tour’s business relationships with its members by inducing them to breach their contractual requirements, even going so far as to pay members’ legal fees to make breaching their contracts with Tour more enticing."

Phil Mickelson, Talor Gooch, Ian Poulter and Hudson Swafford filed a motion on Tuesday to be dismissed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit accusing the PGA Tour of unfairly suspending its members and using monopoly power to