The LIV Golf tournament has generated a lot of controversy for its rebellious and breakaway nature. They are currently involved in a legal battle with the PGA Tour which has decided to suspend the players participating in this competition. As a result, golf star Phil Mickelson has agreed to remove himself from any affiliation with the Saudi-backed tour.

The LIV Golf tournament has generated a lot of controversy for its rebellious and breakaway nature. They are currently involved in a legal battle with the PGA Tour which has decided to suspend the players participating in this competition. As a result, golf star Phil Mickelson has agreed to remove himself from any affiliation with the Saudi-backed tour.

The six-time major winner is joined by a group of star golfers, including Ian Poulter, Talor Gooch and Hudson Swafford, who have dropped out of the ongoing civil lawsuit between the opposing parties. The players filed the voluntary dismissal of their claim against the PGA Tour on Tuesday in the US District Court.

Therefore, of the original 11 players who filed the lawsuit against the PGA Tour following their suspension after getting affiliated with LIV Golf, it leaves just LIV Golf itself, Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Jones, and Peter Uihlein as the plaintiffs. Before Mickelson and Poulter, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Pat Perez, and Jason Kokrak had already decided to drop out and remove their names from the legal battle.

Mickelson’s latest decision also does not come as a surprise to most people after he had previously suggested two weeks ago that his own involvement in the lawsuit wasn’t really as important as it had been previously.

“Now that LIV is involved, it’s not necessary for me to be involved,” Mickelson told SI.com at Rich Harvest Farms ahead of the LIV Golf event in Chicago. “I currently still am. I don’t know what I’m going to do, really.

“The only reason for me to stay in is (monetary) damages, which I don’t really want or need anything. I do think it’s important that the players have the right to play when and where they want, when and where they qualify for. And now that LIV is a part of it, that will be accomplished if and when they win.”

According to sources in the media, the trial is set to begin in January 2024.

The LIV Golf tournament attracted headlines for controversy as it is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). It is a sovereign wealth fund that has been involved in sports washing the image of Saudi Arabia on the international stage and the wealth fund even took over Newcastle United in the Premier League last year.

PIF is also chaired by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman who was infamously responsible for approving the operation that led to the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

LIV Golf is made up of eight tours across the world. The most recent tour was held between September 16 and 18 at Rich Harvest Farms in Chicago.