LIV Golf accuses DP World Tour of interference as 'LIV 2.0' future hangs in balance

LIV Golf accuses DP World Tour of interference as 'LIV 2.0' future hangs in balance

The Saudi-backed league raised its concerns during a court hearing on Wednesday, revealing that it expects to know by the end of October whether it can continue operating under a revamped model known as 'LIV 2.0'.

"We're continuing to monitor this situation very closely and we're quite concerned by it frankly," said Rob Fitzgerald, the attorney representing LIV.

"The timing in particular strikes us as a clear attempt to interfere with our process with our players and potentially our reorganisation writ large.

"It also raises a lot of the same anti-competitive concerns that LIV has expressed previously regarding the way competing leagues have sought to box out and punish market participants, namely these players, from participating in LIV and really only LIV."

DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings said earlier this week that players would have to choose between the two circuits, signalling a tougher stance on dual membership.

In previous seasons, the European-based tour granted conditional releases to several high-profile players, including Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, allowing them to compete on LIV Golf while retaining their DP World Tour membership.

"Player freedom is the reason LIV Golf was created, and it's the foundation of LIV Golf 2.0, a league built around its players," Fitzgerald added.

"LIV has been vocal in its belief in free agency and that the best players should have greater flexibility to compete across the ecosystem. It's unfortunate that another tour is taking an opposite view and pressuring our players with false choice."

Judge Michael B. Kaplan, who is overseeing the proceedings in the New Jersey Bankruptcy Court, said the DP World Tour's comments had "raised concerns".

Several LIV players, including Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Victor Perez and Tom McKibbin, currently retain eligibility to play on the DP World Tour through one of its membership categories.

Rahm, however, is reportedly preparing to leave LIV Golf after rejecting new terms proposed for its relaunch. 

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