Pat Perez has dropped out of the lawsuit against the PGA tour. He is not the first player who has done this as Carlos Ortiz has also taken off his name from the lawsuit.
Perez revealed to Sports Illustrated on Friday that he initially joined LIV Golf out of loyalty to the other players who are dissatisfied with the suspensions imposed by the PGA Tour.
“I have no ill feelings toward the PGA Tour or any of the players,’’ Perez said. “I’m a LIV guy 100 percent. I’m going to play for them. But I don’t feel any need to go after the PGA Tour. They gave me a wonderful opportunity for 21 years. I’ve got nothing against them, no hard feelings toward anybody. I earned everything I got out there, don’t get me wrong.
“I chose to leave and I’m not looking to come back. I’d like to maybe play the Champions Tour one day if that can work out and that’s why I have not given up my membership. But there is no benefit to doing this. I have an unbelievable deal with LIV and I’m behind them 100 percent.’’
Perez, 46, has won three times on the PGA Tour and has more than $28 million in prize money under his belt since becoming a pro in 1997. Despite his accomplishment, he said that he “can’t beat these young kids anymore” and claimed that the opportunity presented by LIV was too amazing for him to reject.
He received an upfront signing bonus when he signed his four-year contract. He has participated in two competitions and received $1,804,000, $1,5 million.
When asked why he decided to join, he said, “I didn’t really think it through. I did it to back our guys.’’
The incident
Early in August, 11 LIV players filed a formal complaint and were headed by Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau. Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford, and Matt Jones had requested a temporary restraining order so they could participate in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
The PGA Tour has placed anyone who plays in LIV events on indefinite suspension. This prevents the players from taking part in any PGA Tour competitions, including the Presidents Cup.
But the motion was denied. At this point, Ortiz has already withdrawn from the lawsuit.
“The standard for issuing a temporary restraining order is identical to the standards for issuing a preliminary injunction,” Judge Freeman wrote in her decision.
“An injunction is a matter of equitable discretion and is an extraordinary remedy that may only be awarded upon a clear showing that the plaintiff is entitled to such relief.”
Perez originally thought that Greg Norman, the CEO and commissioner of the LIV, should give PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan a call. He believed that a solution could be found that would be advantageous to all participants. But now Perez said the possibility of the two parties agreeing was zero.
“It’s too deep; it’s too ugly now,’’ Perez said. “I don’t see it happening anymore. There’s just too much on both sides and it’s gotten ugly. I just don’t see a resolution, unfortunately. There was a time I did.’’
At a status conference in San Jose, California, Judge Beth Labson Freeman announced that the antitrust trial in Phil Mickelson, et al. v. PGA Tour, Inc. will begin on Monday, January 8, 2024.