Set for January 30, 2024 and February 23, 2024 in Jupiter, Florida
(Palm Beach, Florida, January 4, 2024). After three attempts before two different courts to avoid being deposed in the on-going class action antitrust and unfair trade practice suit by golf fan and consumer Larry Klayman, the founder of both Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch and a former prosecutor of the U.S. Department of Justice, a Palm Beach judge in Klayman v. PGA Tour et. al 50-2022-CA-006587, (15th Judicial Circuit, Palm Beach County), ordered the depositions of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy to proceed on January 30 and February 23, 2024 respectively.
With the apparent breakdown of talks between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, obvious from their having extended the deadline to reach any agreement to April 2024, and with the prospect of lengthy review by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, even if some deal is ultimately reached, this lawsuit takes on added significance, as it seeks to further golf fan interests in having players from both tours be able to compete head to head, free from the anticompetitive acts and unfair trade practices of the Defendants the PGA Tour and its embattled Commissioner Jay Monahan, and their agents.
As just the latest example of the anticompetitive acts and unfair trade practices of the PGA Tour and Monahan, after what most golf fans believe to be the number one professional golfer and independent contractor, Jon Rahm, recently decided to also play professional golf on the LIV Tour, he was immediately suspended from playing on the PGA Tour and is now likely to also be suspended and fined by its joint venture partner the DP World Tour, aka the European Tour.
A copy of the Third Amended Complaint filed in this case can be found at www.freedomwatchusa.org.
The testimony and the full production of documents ordered by the court in Palm Beach of both Woods and McIlroy will be most revealing, as both were heavily involved in attempts by the PGA Tour to maintain its monopolistic hold over professional golf, as members of the PGA Tour Players Advisory Council. And both professional golfers assisted Commissioner Monahan in defaming and disparaging LIV Golf and its players after the new league came into existence, all of which were intended to scare sponsors and television rights contracts away from LIV Golf and its players, to restrain its entry into the professional golf tour market.
Larry Klayman, Esq, had this to say upon obtaining concrete dates for the depositions, and full document production of Woods and McIlroy.
“Woods and McIlroy are not above the law and their frivolous and now failed multiple attempts to avoid being deposed creates more than a presumption of liability for their efforts to harm LIV Golf and its players.”
For more information contact Asher Anderson at asher.andersonfw@gmail.com
