LIV golf pressures – POLITICO

« HHQ Ventures is proud to represent the interests of LIV Golf and is aligned with its mission to modernize and grow the game of golf globally, » Hallaway said in a statement, referring additional questions to LIV Golf.

Although LIV Golf is backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the registration has not been filed with the Ministry of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Law. Instead, it was filed under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, which requires more lenient disclosures about lobbying activities.

The PGA Tour ran its own campaign against LIV Golf, its main rival. Last quarter, the PGA Tour paid law firm DLA Piper $120,000 to lobby for « Saudi Golf League proposals, » among other matters, according to a filing. The Tour also suspended players who joined LIV Golf, and the Department of Justice has reportedly launched an antitrust investigation into its actions.

« LIV’s priority as a startup is to deliver an innovative and entertaining product to fans, » LIV Golf spokesman Jonathan Grella said in a statement. « In light of the PGA Tour’s anti-competitive behavior, we have accelerated our plans to educate policymakers about LIV’s business model and its mission to grow the game of golf. »

A PGA Tour spokesperson declined to comment.

POLITICO reported earlier this month that PR giant Edelman helped launch LIV Golf, though it never registered that work with the Justice Department. The company argued that it did not need to register on behalf of the tour.