LIV Players Attempt To Return For The FedEx Cup Playoffs

This season for the PGA Tour has arguably been their most dramatic and unnerving in recent memory, thanks to the birth and growth of LIV Golf.

PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan, and his team have seen some of their best golfers defect and join the side of Greg Norman for a substantial payday. Many reasons have been given for the switch, including more money for fewer tournaments, evidently dividing the golf world in two.

While it seemed obvious that Monahan would not welcome any golfers back, it appears as though some of the LIV players won’t go down without a fight, at least if you ask Talor Gooch & Co.

Recently, golfers Talor Gooch, Matt Jones, and Hudson Swafford filed a restraining order against the PGA Tour, in an attempt to temporarily lift their ban and therefore allow them to compete in the upcoming FedEx Cup Playoffs.

This is in addition to the antitrust lawsuit filed by 10 additional LIV golfers, including Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau.

It looks like these recent LIV Golf defects are looking to pick and choose important PGA Tour events.

Jay Monahan though is having none of it.

The PGA Tour has asked the judge to deny the restraining order and keep the ban in place.

According to Monahan, these players knew the consequences before choosing to leave:

"“We have been preparing to protect our membership and contest this latest attempt to disrupt our tour, and you should be confident in the legal merits of our position.”"

Furthermore, Monahan does not want this precedent to be set, effectively jeopardizing the integrity of the Tour.

"“At the end of the day, the question is: why would a judge be convinced that these players were harmed after they were made aware of the rules and consequences, knowingly broke the rules, and now seek judicial permission to continue to break those rules?”"

In contrast, recent reports have surfaced that Gooch did not anticipate being a permanent member of the LIV Golf Tour. When his suspension became indefinite, he was shocked saying:

"“Historically the Tour has not done that (suspend players). So based on the history, that was my expectations.”"

There seemed to be some confusion on Gooch’s part, which comes as a surprise to most who thought the consequence was very clear.

"“Monahan made it clear right off the top that if you’re going to play,  walk out that door now,” one player told Yahoo! Sports. “He made the ban seem like it was in all capital letters.”"

With the FedEx Cup Playoffs set to begin this week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Tennessee, this issue needs to be resolved pretty quickly.

What many seem to forget is that there are golfers hanging on to the final FedEx Cup spots who could potentially see their careers derailed if Gooch, Jones, and Swafford are allowed to compete. This would seemingly include the risk of losing their Tour Card altogether.

The question everyone is asking is clear then: how is it fair? Was it not clear when the LIV players made the decision to leave? It seemed clear to most.