February 13, 2020 Contract / Golf / Litigation / PGA

PGA Tour Calls Big Miss, Requests Dismissal of Hank Haney Lawsuit

While much of the golf universe is preparing for Tiger Woods’ next outing at the Genesis Open, his former hitting coach has also returned to the headlines.

On February 10, 2020 the PGA Tour responded to a lawsuit filed by Hank Haney, a former radio host and coach for Tiger Woods. In May 2019, on the “Hank Haney Golf Radio” show on SiriusXM, Haney made comments regarding the U.S. Women’s Open that were considered openly sexist and racist. Following a formal apology, Sirius suspended Haney …

January 8, 2020 Contract / Golf / Litigation / PGA

Hank Haney Sues PGA Tour, Claims They Forced SiriusXM to Cancel His Radio Show

Hank Haney, former SiriusXM radio host and coach for Tiger Woods, filed a lawsuit against the PGA Tour, alleging that they put pressure on Sirius to cancel his radio show.

Back in May, on the “Hank Haney Golf Radio” show on SiriusXM, Haney made comments about the U.S. Women’s Open that caused backlash. These comments were taken to be sexist and racist, and Haney both apologized on air and released a formal apology. Sirius initially responded by suspending Haney before cancelling his show altogether.

Now, …

September 5, 2019 Golf / Litigation

The Historical Significance of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2001 decision in PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin

On January 17, 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments for PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin. Historically, the court has often strayed from sports-related disputes, although there are some landmark cases which were exceptions and shaped the national landscape of sports. However, the dispute in Martin spanned greatly beyond a mere sports-related dispute. The issue was simple: does using a golf cart fundamentally alter a tournament? However, the larger legal question was whether the American Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) supersedes the rules of …

August 8, 2016 Golf / Litigation

PGA Moves to Dismiss Singh Lawsuit

On Friday, July 29, 2016, PGA Tour Inc. once again moved to dismiss golfer Vijay Singh’s lawsuit alleging bad faith actions on the part of the PGA Tour. Singh brought suit against the PGA in 2013 after admitting in an interview to using deer antler spray, a banned substance, and accused the PGA of “absurd” and “unfair” treatment shown by the PGA’s 90-day suspension of Singh while other players used the same substance and received no sanctions.

Singh never tested positive for IGF-1, the …

July 7, 2016 Golf / Litigation

Expert Report Creates Further Contention in Court

The legal battle continues between the PGA Tour and pro golfer Vijay Singh. The lawsuit stems from a suspension that Singh received following a Sports Illustrated interview where Singh admitted to using deer antler spray, which contained a substance banned by the PGA Tour’s Anti-Doping Program. On April 30, 2013, the PGA Tour released a statement that the suspension had been lifted following further information provided by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and an investigation into the matter.

Following the release and reversal of the …

June 8, 2016 Golf / Litigation / PGA

Jumping the Gun on Doping: A Golfer’s Lawsuit Against the PGA

On January 29, 2013, professional golfer Vijay Singh admitted to using Ultimate Spray during a Sports Illustrated interview. He thought he was advertising for a product that eased his back pain. Later that day, he found himself in a media hailstorm and facing professional setbacks. He had admitted to using “deer antler spray” that contained a prohibited growth hormone, IGF-1.

The PGA Tour immediately sanctioned Singh and gave him 90-day suspension for violating the PGA Anti-Doping Policy. Immediately, Singh began the process to appeal …

August 26, 2015 Golf

PGA Tour Seeks Early Exit from Caddy Ad Lawsuit

On Friday August 21, PGA Tour Inc. filed a motion to dismiss with federal court, seeking to end the antitrust class-action lawsuit waged against it by a group of tour caddies.

The lawsuit, brought by 80 PGA Tour caddies back in February, stems from the bibs the PGA requires the caddies to wear while walking the tour courses during tournaments. The bibs contain advertisements of Tour sponsors and the caddies are not compensated for the advertising space they are forced to wear. The lawsuit …

November 8, 2013 Doping / PGA

Was Vijay Singh “Singhled” Out?

Late last month, we reported that the PGA Tour asked the court to dismiss Vijay Singh’s public humiliation claims. While the judge has yet to make a decision on that motion, recently released court transcripts from the oral arguments show that Singh thinks he was discriminated against.

Singh’s attorney claimed that Singh was singled out in his punishment. He said the tour treated Singh differently than others for some reason. It could be “because Mr. Singh isn’t from the United States or Mr. Singh didn’t …

October 25, 2013 Doping / Golf / PGA

PGA Asks Court to Buck Singh’s Deer-Antler Spray Case

A New York judge must decide whether to dismiss Vijay Singh’s case claiming public humiliation against the PGA Tour. As we reported at that time, in May, Singh sued the PGA for the “reckless administration and implementation” of its anti-doping program. On October 24, 2013, the PGA asked the judge to dismiss the case.

In January 2013, Sports Illustrated reported that Singh admitted to using a product called “The Ultimate Spray.” The spray contains trace amounts of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), which is banned by …

May 9, 2013 Golf

Singh Fires Back at PGA Tour with Lawsuit Over Deer-Antler Spray Suspension

On May 8, 2013, pro golfer Vijay Singh filed suit against the PGA Tour in New York State Supreme Court for exposing him to “public humiliation and ridicule.” The suit stems from the Tour’s 12 week investigation into Singh for his use of deer-antler spray. The Tour dropped its case against on April 30, 2013, citing new information from the World Anti-Doping Agency which said that it no longer prohibits the spray because it only contains minimal amounts of a banned substance, the growth factor …