Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau among 11 LIV golfers to file antitrust lawsuit against PGA Tour

Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and nine other golfers suspended by the PGA Tour for joining LIV Golf have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour on Wednesday.

In addition, three of those golfers are seeking a temporary restraining order from a federal judge that would allow them to compete in the upcoming FedEx Cup playoffs.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, requested relief that would allow Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones to play in the three FedEx Cup playoff events, starting with next week's FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis.

«The punishment that would accrue to these players from not being able to play in the FedEx Cup Playoffs is substantial and irreparable,» the golfers' attorneys wrote in the lawsuit, «and a temporary restraining order is needed to prevent the irreparable harm that would ensue were they not to be able to participate.»

Carlos Ortiz, Ian Poulter, Peter Uihlein, Jason Kokrak, Pat Perez and Abraham Ancer are the other plaintiffs identified in the lawsuit, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN on Wednesday.

«As part of its carefully orchestrated plan to defeat competition, the Tour has threatened lifetime bans on players who play in even a single LIV Golf event,» the lawsuit says. «It has backed up these threats by imposing unprecedented suspensions on players (including the Plaintiffs) that threaten irreparable harm to the players and their ability to pursue their profession. It has threatened sponsors, vendors, and agents to coerce players to abandon opportunities to play in LIV Golf events. And it has orchestrated a per se unlawful group boycott with the European Tour to deny LIV Golf access to their members.»

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