Previous LIV Golf Format Shows Similarities to the Premier Golf League’s Early Ideas
HONGKONG LIV-GOLF Spanish professional golfer, Jon Rahm during a game in Fanling Golf Course where LIV Golf Hong Kong is being held in Hong Kong, March 8, 2026. NEXPHER/Vernon Yuen HONG KONG
HONGKONG LIV-GOLF Spanish professional golfer, Jon Rahm during a game in Fanling Golf Course where LIV Golf Hong Kong is being held in Hong Kong, March 8, 2026. NEXPHER/Vernon Yuen HONG KONG
LIV Golf is reportedly losing money despite the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund's (PIF) billions in investment. And now, the league seems to have hit another hurdle.
Sky Sports News' Amar Mehta reported that Premier Golf League (PGL) has filed a lawsuit against LIV Golf and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The reported reason behind this is the similarity to PGL's proposed twelve, four-man teams in a 54-hole, no-cut format, which LIV Golf followed before shifting to a 72-hole format in 2026.
"In a court filing from April 16, Premier Golf and its parent company World Golf Group Limited have filed a lawsuit against the Public Investment Fund, Golf Saudi, various LIV Golf entities, and two individuals," wrote Mehta.
COLLEGE GROVE, TN - JUNE 23: A general view of LIV Golf signage during the final round of LIV Golf Nashville on June 23, 2024 at the Grove Golf Course in College Grove, Tennessee. Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire GOLF: JUN 23 LIV Golf League Nashville EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon062324163
COLLEGE GROVE, TN - JUNE 23: A general view of LIV Golf signage during the final round of LIV Golf Nashville on June 23, 2024 at the Grove Golf Course in College Grove, Tennessee. Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire GOLF: JUN 23 LIV Golf League Nashville EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon062324163
"The case has been filed in the London Commercial Court," he added. However, this isn't the first time this has come up.
As per a 2024 report from The Times, the PGL claimed they first pitched their idea as a PGA Tour rival to Saudi Investors in 2019. However, that went nowhere, and in 2022, the Saudi-backed league debuted its nearly identical "shotgun start" team model.
Since then, the PGL "has continued to pitch to players as a middle ground between LIV and the PGA Tour," claimed Mehta.
Intellectual Property Claims Over Team Formats
According to The Times report, the PIF left the table in 2021 because becuse talks stalled.
The man behind PGL, Andrew Gardiner, said they intended to have 12 four-player teams and a season-ending team event with £10.7 million ($14.46 million) for the winners.
LIV Golf launched with the same number of teams and players in 2022, before expanding to 13 teams and 54 players in 2024 when Jon Rahm joined.
"I’m not angry at all. We see [LIV] as a testament to us because it is, for all intent and purposes, the same format that we devised," Gardiner told Today's Golfer in 2022.
Although LIV has switched to a 72-hole format for the 2026 season, according to the PGL, the key concepts were developed by them.
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Written by
Abhishek Sharma
Edited by
Sagnik Bagchi