Both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have officially moved to drop their respective legal cases against each other, signaling what may be the beginning to the end of a long battle in court that lasted nearly a year.
On Friday both parties voluntarily dismissed all claims against each other, with prejudice, meaning the claims previously made in the two lawsuits cannot be refiled or pursued. According to Friday’s filing, “all parties bear their own fees and costs.”
Last week’s news of the partnership between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund noted that all pending litigation between the Tour and LIV would be dismissed as the two sides worked to create a new, for profit global golf entity.
Earlier in the day, the New York Times asked a judge in the US Northern District of California to unseal documents “in their entirety” relating to the legal battle between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, citing the public’s First Amendment and common law rights to public records. The Times requested the judge schedule a hearing on Aug. 3, or soon thereafter, to consider its motion.
There is not only precedent in US courts that states settlement does not moot the public’s right of access, but lawyers for the Times argue it would only elevate the public interest even more.
The US Department of Justice was already investigating the Tour for antitrust behavior, but earlier this week it was reported that the Justice Department is also reviewing the proposed deal between the Tour and PIF, together with the US Senate.
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Story originally appeared on GolfWeek