A judge has allowed the PGA Tour to add Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund as a defendant to its countersuit against LIV Golf.
The move also allows the PGA to add the governor of the Public Investment Fund, Yasir Othman al Rumayyan, to its countersuit in the broader court case between the two golf tours in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
PGA TOUR FILES MOTION TO ADD SAUDI ARABIA'S PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND TO LIV GOLF LAWSUIT
The PGA Tour filed the motion to add the two as defendants by arguing the fund and al Rumayyan had personally recruited players to breach their contracts, whereas LIV Golf argued further delaying the lawsuit would harm LIV and the players who had left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf.
Judge Beth Labson Freeman denied LIV's argument, saying it failed to show any evidence of how delaying the case would actually cause any harm to players.
"While the Court is sensitive to the golfers’ need to earn a living during the pendency of the case, LIV has not identified how allowing the proposed amendment would cause any of the Plaintiffs undue difficulty in prosecuting their case. Moreover, LIV’s speculation that adding PIF and [al Rumayyan] to the TOUR’s existing counterclaim will delay resolution of the case does not demonstrate undue prejudice," Freeman wrote in the filing Tuesday.
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The Public Investment Fund owns roughly 93% of LIV Golf, according to court filings.
A group of former PGA golfers who fled to LIV filed the initial lawsuit against the PGA Tour after the tour suspended them for participating in LIV events. LIV Golf eventually joined the legal challenge, which alleged the PGA Tour was using its dominance in the pro golf industry to prevent competition and discourage those affiliated with the tour from doing business with LIV. In response to the suit, the PGA Tour later filed a countersuit alleging LIV Golf colluded to get players to breach their contract with the tour and join the competing golf tour.