LIV Golf Lawsuit Reveals Text Messages Between Sergio Garcia, Greg Norman: Players Are 'Shi--ing Their Pants'

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Text messages included in lawsuit filed by LIV golfers against the PGA Tour reveal Sergio Garcia explaining to LIV CEO Greg Norman the Tour's plan to ban golfers. The text messages date back to February, while the PGA Tour didn't issue indefinite suspensions for LIV golfers until June.

Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, and nine other LIV golfers are listed as part of the antitrust lawsuit filed against the PGA Tour. The 11 golfers claim that the Tour does not have the authority to ban players from competing on Tour.


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In the text conversation presented in the suit between Garcia and Norman, Garcia explained that some of the younger guys that were on the fence were starting to get nervous about joining LIV Golf and the consequences that may come with it.

“I just wanted to see how things are going with the League, cause it seems like a lot of those guys that were loving it and excited about it last week, now are shi--ing in their pants," Garcia wrote to Norman on Feb. 11.

Norman wrote back, “Morning. All going very well. I have not heard the white noise of s—ting their pants. Who are you referencing so I can run a check?”





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Less than a week later, Garcia sent Norman another text explaining that the PGA Tour had officially told players that if they join LIV then they'd be "banned from the Tour for life!"

Norman said that the Tour banning players would not be legal.

“They cannot ban you for one day let alone life,” Norman replied. “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.









Garcia either believed Norman was right and that the Tour's threat was hollow, or perhaps didn't care about a possible ban seeing as how he ultimately joined LIV golf anyway.

On June 9, shortly after the first tee shot was struck in LIV Golf's inaugural event outside London, the PGA Tour issued its indefinite suspension for LIV golfers.




Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.