Sports
11 golfers file lawsuit against PGA
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Phil Mickelson Credit: AFP/ ADRIAN DENNIS
A host of golfers, including Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the PGA Tour on Wednesday.
Eleven golfers now on the LIV Golf Series joined the lawsuit, which challenges their suspension from the PGA Tour. Three of the 11, Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones, are seeking a temporary restraining order to be allowed to participate in the FedEx Cup playoffs, which begin next week.
That trio qualified for the playoffs but were banned after joining LIV, a competing circuit considered a direct threat to the PGA Tour.
In addition, Abraham Ancer, Jason Kokrak, Carlos Ortiz, Pat Perez, Ian Poulter and Peter Uihlein are listed along with Mickelson and DeChambeau in the lawsuit.
“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.”
The FedEx Cup playoffs begin with the St. Jude Classic in Memphis next week. The top 125 players are eligible to play – except for those who opted to play in LIV events.
Gooch is Number 20 in points, Swafford is 63rd and Jones No. 91.
“Banning Plaintiffs and other top professional golfers from its own events degrades the Tour’s strength of field and diminishes the quality of the product that it offers to golf fans by depriving them from seeing many top golfers participate in Tour events,” the lawsuit reads.
“The only conceivable benefit to the Tour from degrading its own product in this manner is the destruction of competition. Indeed, the Tour has conceded its nakedly anticompetitive purpose in attacking and injuring the players.”
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan addressed the lawsuit in a memo sent to current tour members, a copy of which was obtained by Golf.com.
“Fundamentally, these suspended players — who are now Saudi Golf League employees — have walked away from the Tour and now want back in. With the Saudi Golf League on hiatus, they’re trying to use lawyers to force their way into competition alongside our members in good standing,” the memo said.
Monahan encouraged current tour members to speak publicly on the matter, “if you are so inclined”.
“This is your Tour, built on the foundation that we work together for the good and growth of the organization…and then you reap the rewards. It seems your former colleagues have forgotten one important aspect of that equation,” the memo concluded.
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As Norway Chess 2026 gets underway in Oslo, all eyes are once again on the growing rivalry between D. Gukesh and Magnus Carlsen, a clash that has become one of modern chess’s biggest storylines.
Tournament organisers have confirmed the reigning world champion and former world number one will face each other twice during this year’s event, first on May 28 and again on June 5.
The rematch already carries extra intrigue after last year’s dramatic showdown, when Carlsen reacted emotionally after losing to the teenage Indian sensation, a moment that quickly went viral across the sporting world.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Gukesh kept things calm when asked whether he expected another fiery reaction from the Norwegian superstar.
“My job is to play chess. That is within my control,” said the 19-year-old world champion, who turns 20 later this week.
But the Indian grandmaster also admitted that moments of emotion and rivalry are helping chess attract a wider audience globally.
“Chess players generally don’t show a lot of emotions, but when it did happen, a lot of people got attracted to chess,” Gukesh said.
“I feel that chess players generally expressing more is fun to watch.”
This year’s tournament also marks a major commercial moment for the sport. Earlier this year, Erling Haaland invested in Norway Chess and its new Total Chess World Championship Tour project, another sign of chess crossing deeper into mainstream global sport.
The event has also started building stronger Gulf connections. Last year’s Norway Chess Open featured Rouda Al Serkal, the GCC’s first woman grandmaster, reflecting the UAE’s growing presence in international chess.
The 2026 edition features another elite field in both the Open and Women’s tournaments.
In the Open section, Carlsen opens against Alireza Firouzja, while Gukesh begins his campaign against Vincent Keymer. R Praggnanandhaa will face Wesley So.
The women’s competition includes reigning world champion Ju Wenjun, Koneru Humpy, Anna Muzychuk and rising Indian star Divya Deshmukh.
Running until June 5, Norway Chess continues to position itself as one of the sport’s premier events, blending elite competition, viral rivalries and growing global appeal far beyond the traditional chess audience.
Photo credit: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza
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