A series of text messages between Greg Norman and pro golfer Sergio Garcia shows that Norman was absolutely sure that the PGA Tour did not have the legal standing to ban players from joining the new LIV golf league.
The messages between Norman and Garcia were revealed in a lawsuit recently filed by a group led by golf great Phil Mickelson, which is suing the PGA Tour for antitrust violations for its heavy-handed tactics in response to the creation of the new Saudi-backed golf league, the New York Post reported.
Team Captain Sergio Garcia of Fireballs GC arrives at the course during day one of the LIV Golf Invitational – Portland at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club on June 30, 2022, in North Plains, Oregon. (Jamie Squire/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
The messages, as first reported by Dylan Dethier, reveal that Garcia was trying to warn Norman that the PGA was threatening to ban players for life if they dared to join LIV. But Norman was adamant that it was just a tactic because the Tour didn’t have the legal power to ban anyone.
In one of the messages, Garcia told Norman that younger players were “shitting their pants” over the PGA Tour’s threats.
In reply, Norman insisted that it wouldn’t happen. He wrote, “In regards to the Tour if they were going to ban players they would have already. They know they cannot hence no action outside of verbal threats. If you can get them or any player threatened to get it [in writing] fantastic.”
In another text message, Norman insisted that the Tour can’t ban anyone.
“They cannot ban you for one day let alone life,” Norman texted, according to the lawsuit. “It is a shallow threat. Ask them to put it in writing to you or any player. I bet they don’t. Happy for anyone to speak with our legal team to better understand they have no chance of enforcing.”
Norman also told Garcia he would “get something to show you why they cannot” ban anyone.
Garcia went on to give a more detailed explanation of what happened.
“The commissioner had a meeting with the 5 or 6 biggest agencies of golf managers, mine included, and first told them that if any of their players had signed with the [LIV] league, that they should leave the room and after that they talked about what the [PGA Tour] is going to do going forward and that whoever signs with [LIV] they would be [banned] from the [PGA Tour] for life. I would love to get it in writing, but I doubt they will do that,” Garcia wrote.
Garcia ultimately joined the LIV despite the PGA Tour’s threats.
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