The possibility of some LIV Golf players bowing out of the antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour was broached during last week’s hearing — and Pat Perez appears to be the first.
Perez told Sports Illustrated that he intends to withdraw as one of the 11 plaintiffs. The three-time PGA Tour winner told the outlet he originally joined the case out of solidarity to the three golfers who sought an injunction that would lift their PGA Tour suspensions.
While there has been no filing in court of Perez’s withdrawal as a defendant in the federal civil complaint, a source confirmed to Front Office Sports that such a motion is expected.
“I have no ill feelings toward the PGA Tour or any of the players,’’ Perez told SI. “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.”
Messages left with Perez’s spokesperson were not returned Monday.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman set a January 8, 2024 trial date in the case brought earlier this month by Phil Mickelson and 10 other LIV Golf competitors.
Plaintiffs Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford, and Matt Jones also sought a temporary restraining order in a bid to play in the FedEX Cup Playoffs, a request that Freeman denied.
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