Calling the PGA’s Bluff

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Posted: Jul 31, 2022 12:01 AM

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You don’t have to be a golf fan to be intrigued by the daily headlines in the battle between the PGA and the startup Saudi-backed LIV golf league. The PGA threats read like something out of a mafia movie. Defecting players will never be welcomed back to the PGA tour. They will be stripped of Ryder Cup invitations and they will be persona non grata at the Golf Hall of Fame. All that’s missing is the Godfather of golf swearing on the graves of his grandchildren. Masters Champion and crowd favorite Bubba Watson just became the latest star to call the PGA bluff. When big money talks, some of the biggest names in golf will walk. All of this rough talk is coming from an enterprise (that operates as a non-profit) in an effort to intimidate what we all thought were independent contractors. The Wall Street Journal reports that the DOJ is considering antitrust action against the PGA. Players may file a legal suit. Imagine any other company or organization who hires independent contractors (thus avoiding tax and legal implications) and then threatens those same independent contractors that if they ever work for any other organization those contractors will never again be allowed to work for them. Even Pete Rozelle and the p …