NEW YORK -- The Mets needed some kind of spark, anything after falling to a season-worst three games below .500 on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, it came in the form of a Pete Alonso walk-off homer, electrifying the Mets with the team's best moment of the season.

Alonso hit his fourth career walk-off homer in a 10-inning, 8-7 victory over the juggernaut Tampa Bay Rays, a back-and-forth contest that saw the Mets' bullpen allow six runs in four innings.

"We had plenty of comeback wins last year, but we're a different team," Alonso said. "We need to establish that identity, and it was exciting to get that win."

The Mets struggled to get their bats going against Tampa Bay starter Josh Fleming, who threw five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out five. Their first runs didn't come until the seventh inning when third baseman Mark Vientos -- playing his first major league game of the season after being called up earlier Wednesday -- hit a homer off Rays reliever Ryan Thompson that barely scooted over the center-field fence to make the score 2-2.

Vientos did not expect the ball to leave the yard.

"I was saying, 'Go ball, go, go, go,'" Vientos said. "Maybe it listened to me."

The Rays immediately fired back, with second baseman Brandon Lowe hitting a two-run shot off Mets reliever Adam Ottavino in the eighth to make the score 4-2. In the ninth, Tampa Bay extended the lead to 5-2 on a Randy Arozarena ground ball single that scored Josh Lowe.

But New York's evening was not over. The Mets stormed back with a three-run homer from catcher Francisco Alvarez that tied the game at 5-5 and sent it to extra innings.

Tampa Bay immediately broke the tie in the 10th inning when Rays pinch hitter Harold Ramirez knocked an RBI single to center field, scoring Taylor Walls. The Rays soon added an insurance run on a Josh Lowe RBI single that extended the lead to 7-5.

The Mets flashed back to their 2022 propensity to come back from deficits in the bottom half of the inning when Jeff McNeil started with a single that moved ghost runner Brandon Nimmo to third and put two runners on base for Alonso. The slugger then drove a pitch from Rays closer Pete Fairbanks into the left-center field seats for his 15th homer this year and the Mets' most dramatic win of the season.

"For the players, I know how painful this stretch has been for them," manager Buck Showalter said. "To have a moment like that, they deserve it."

After the game, Showalter mentioned that Alonso felt "sick like a dog," adding that most players would not have played with the illness. Alonso did not question whether he was going to play.

"As long as I'm physically able to play, my job description is a baseball player," Alonso said. "I want to be here for my team."

The Mets rode a strong performance from starter Kodai Senga, who went six innings while striking out 12 and allowing 3 hits, 3 walks and 1 run. Though he was occasionally wild while trying to find the strike zone, the performance proved to be enough to keep New York in the game.

The Mets will have an opportunity to clinch their first series win since April in Thursday's series finale against the Rays.

A Florida judge ruled late Wednesday that the ex-girlfriend of Tiger Woods must abide by a nondisclosure agreement she purportedly signed and resolve her lawsuits seeking millions from the golf superstar through private arbitration behind closed doors.

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Metzger, in an 11-page opinion, rejected Erica Herman's attempt to quash the 2017 agreement by saying Woods had committed sexual harassment against her, calling Herman's allegations "vague and threadbare."

"Herman has had the opportunity (to) provide factual specificity for any claim relating to sexual assault or sexual harassment, however, she has not done so," Metzger wrote.

Metzger also said that the evidence shows that a nondisclosure agreement was negotiated between Herman and Woods in 2017, even if her attorney, Benjamin Hodas, now questions whether she actually signed it.

At a May 9 hearing, Hodas conceded that Herman signed an agreement, but he said she doesn't remember ever seeing the one Woods' attorneys presented to the court.

Metzger said that if Herman unequivocally denied signing the agreement, she would have ordered a hearing on that issue. But since Herman isn't sure if she signed it or not, that is a question for the arbitrator to decide.

Neither Hodas nor Woods' attorney, J.B. Murray, immediately responded to late Wednesday emails seeking comment. It is unknown if Hodas will appeal.

Herman, 39, had sued both Woods, 47, and the trust that owns his $54 million Florida mansion, seeking $30 million from the latter amid unspecified allegations of sexual harassment. Forbes Magazine estimates Woods' net worth at $1.1 billion.

Herman, who managed Woods' Palm Beach County restaurant before and during the first years of their romantic relationship, argues that the nondisclosure agreement is unenforceable under a new federal law that says such contracts can be voided when sexual abuse or sexual harassment occurred.

She alleged in court documents that Woods threatened to fire her if she didn't sign a nondisclosure agreement. Hodas argued that is a type of harassment, treating one employee different than others because they have a sexual relationship.

But the sexual harassment allegation was barely mentioned during last week's hearing. Metzger told Hodas she needed more information about what allegedly happened to consider it. Hodas said he couldn't provide more information publicly in fear that he would be violating the nondisclosure agreement if it is ultimately upheld.

Murray has called the allegation "utterly meritless."

In Herman's lawsuit against Woods, she asked Metzger to either void the nondisclosure agreement or at least give her guidance about what she can say publicly. She also argued that the contract covers only her work relationship with Woods, not their personal matters.

In her unlawful-eviction lawsuit against the trust, she is basing her $30 million claim on how much it would cost to rent a property like Woods' beachfront mansion north of Palm Beach for the six years of residence she was allegedly promised by the golfer and then denied.

Before they dated, Woods hired Herman in 2014 to help develop and then operate the golfer's The Woods sports bar and restaurant in nearby Jupiter -- but they do not agree when their romantic relationship and cohabitation began.

Herman says in her court filings that their romantic relationship began in 2015 and that in late 2016 she moved into Woods' nearly 30,000-square-foot mansion in the ritzy Hobe Sound community. She says that in 2017, Woods verbally promised she could live there at least 11 more years. Herman says Woods pressured her to quit the job in 2020 so she could spend more time taking care of him and his children.

Woods, in his court documents, says their romantic relationship began in 2017 and that she moved in with him that August, about the time the disputed nondisclosure agreement was signed. In March 2017, Woods had put the mansion into the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust, an entity he created that has only himself and his two children as beneficiaries.

DENVER -- As the Nuggets watched film of their Game 1 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, they saw something they have seen before.

If the Lakers believe they might have found a defensive wrinkle by putting Rui Hachimura on Nikola Jokic like they did in the fourth quarter of Game 1, the Nuggets say they know exactly how to counter the tactic, having seen it as recently as the first round against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"Much [is being] made of them putting Rui Hachimura on Nikola Jokic," Denver head coach Michael Malone said after the team's film session Wednesday. "Like we have never seen that before."

The Nuggets have a 1-0 lead in this best-of-seven Western Conference finals after Jokic had his third consecutive postseason triple-double with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists to go with two blocks. Jokic hit 12 of his first 15 shots and had 31 points, 19 rebounds and 12 assists by the end of the third quarter.

But after the Lakers put the 6-foot-8 Hachimura on the 6-foot-11 Jokic, allowing Anthony Davis to roam the paint, Jokic was limited in the fourth quarter to three points on 0-of-2 shooting with two rebounds and two assists while committing two turnovers.

That, along with scoring 72 second-half points, allowed the Lakers to cut a 21-point deficit to three multiple times late in the fourth. So even though the Nuggets made winning plays down the stretch to take Game 1, there was a feeling that the Lakers came out of the game with momentum and perhaps an effective defensive strategy on Jokic.

"There's this kind of discussion being based [on that] even though the Lakers lost, they're walking out of here, they think they've got something," Malone said. "I'll bet you every red penny I have that Darvin Ham would rather be up 1-0 than down 0-1.

"So for us to be able to watch film after a win and show all the things that we did poorly is a great situation to be in."

The Nuggets say they will be ready to counter the Lakers if they decide to put Hachimura on Jokic again.

They said they have seen similar tactics from the Golden State Warriors, who used Draymond Green as a sort of free safety off Jokic in the first round last year; from the Philadelphia 76ers, who put P.J. Tucker on Jokic at times to free up Joel Embiid; and from Minnesota, which tried to let Rudy Gobert float in the paint in the first round last month.

"As a team, we've seen everything there is to see on how teams will try to guard Nikola," Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. said. "It might have surprised us for a little bit in that late second half, but looking at the film, I don't think that that'll be an issue for us. Next thing we know how to counter that when they put AD off ball and AD is roaming a little bit, it opens up some stuff on the backside, so we just got to execute."

One potential counter for the Nuggets could be to spread things out with shooters and move Aaron Gordon around. The Nuggets have run on-ball screen actions where Gordon is in the dunker spot 86 times this postseason, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information. The Nuggets have averaged 1.30 points per direct pick, above the postseason league average of 1.01. They scored eight points off four on-ball screens when Jokic was matched up with Davis with Gordon in the dunker position.

However, on the five plays where Gordon was in the dunker spot and Jokic was defended by a smaller player with Davis roaming, the Nuggets did not generate a single point in Game 1.

Davis said he will have to be ready for the challenge of either guarding Jokic or roaming on defense but staying attached to Gordon.

"That's why they pay me the big bucks," Davis said. "I got to figure it out. And I got to help everybody. That's my job on this team, to help everyone defensively, protect guys."

For the Lakers, they will have to try to unlock D'Angelo Russell, who scored just eight points and did not play in the fourth quarter.

Nuggets guard Bruce Brown said one of the team's goals was "making it tough" on Russell on the defensive end and "just going at him" on the offensive end.

"We attacked them, we took D-Lo out the game," Brown said of Denver's early transition game. "That was our goal, to get him involved in everything."

Brown added: "He's not the best defender, but he definitely tries. So just try to attack his feet."

More than anything, the Nuggets are bracing for the Lakers to have a better start to Game 2 after they fell behind 30-14 in the first eight-plus minutes Tuesday night.

"We gave them confidence, we let them back in the game," Brown said. "So we're going to kind of have to come out and punch them in the mouth first."

ESPN's Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.

NEW YORK -- The Tampa Bay Rays probably will give right-hander Tyler Glasnow one more minor league rehabilitation start before activating him from the injured list.

Sidelined since spring training, Glasnow allowed three hits over four scoreless innings and struck out five for Triple-A Durham against Nashville on Tuesday night. He threw 40 of 57 pitches for strikes.

"Very encouraging. He's chomping at the bit to get here," Rays manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday. "I think it's highly likely that we give him one more start and hopefully it goes as well, gets his pitch count somewhere around the 75 mark and we'll go from there."

Glasnow strained his left oblique while throwing batting practice at spring training on Feb. 27. He has made three rehab appearances.

Tampa Bay optioned right-hander Yonny Chirinos to Durham and selected the contract of right-hander Zack Burdi, who made a pair of appearances for the Rays on April 26 and 27. Chirinos had a 2.79 ERA in seven relief appearances.

"Yonny had thrown the ball well for us. I think it's fair to say we think there's more there," Cash said.

First baseman Yandy Diaz, who left Sunday's game at Yankee Stadium with left groin tightness, took batting practice but probably won't play until Friday's homestand opener against Milwaukee.

Right-hander Javier Guerra cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Durham.

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego Padres slugger Manny Machado has a small fracture in his left hand and the team isn't sure if he will require a stint on the injured list.

Machado was hurt when he was hit by a pitch in Monday night's 4-0 win against the Kansas City Royals. Padres manager Bob Melvin said X-rays that night didn't show a fracture, but Machado had a CT scan and MRI on Tuesday that revealed a fractured metacarpal.

After a 4-3 loss to the Royals on Wednesday, the star third baseman was asked if going on the injured list is a possibility.

"I don't know. We'll see," Machado said.

The slumping Padres lost two of three to the last-place Royals and have dropped nine of 11 overall.

"It's definitely a tough stretch for us," said Machado, who is hitting .231 with five homers and 19 RBIs. "We definitely want to be out there and help this team win in whatever way. It's just a bummer. It's not ideal for us right now."

The Padres are off Thursday before opening a weekend series against the Boston Red Sox.

"The swelling's gone down tremendously. I definitely have more range of motion today. It's just a matter of dealing with the pain," said Machado, an All-Star each of the past two seasons who was runner-up in NL MVP voting last year.

He said he hasn't tried gripping a bat since he got hurt.

"We're kind of giving it a couple of days to let the bone heal for a little bit before we move on to something else," Machado said.

The first four months of 2023 have seen record TV viewing figures for women's sport in the UK, according to data from Futures Sport & Entertainment.

From 1 January-30 April, 20.6 million people watched at least three minutes or more of women's sport, including many new to viewing women's sport.

This is up from 18.9 million in the same period in 2022.

The 2023 Six Nations, which saw England lift the trophy for the fifth time in a row, was watched for a total of 10.4 million hours in the UK - the longest in history. And of those tuning in, 42% were women - up from 37% last year.

Meanwhile, domestic football has seen 15.3 million viewers so far this year, already beating the 14.6 million viewers for the entire 2021-22 season. There was a 9% increase in female viewers of the Women's Super League.

Away from club football, England's success in the Arnold Clark Cup was watched by 1.5 million more people than last year.

As for cricket, an average of 150,000 viewers watched every game as England made it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup - up from 138,000 in 2020.

The entire tournament had 7.11 million viewing hours - 1.34 million more than the previous best in 2018.

Women's Sport Trust (WST) chief executive Tammy Parlour said the figures show "the unstoppable rise of women's sport" once again.

"It is hugely encouraging to see that a number of sports are attracting record audiences in the first four months of 2023," she added.

The WST is a leading UK charity which aims to raise the visibility and strengthen the impact of women's sport in the UK.

Leicester Tigers' Jasper Wiese has been named the Rugby Players' Association players' player of the year.

Newcastle wing Mateo Carreras, Saracens flanker Ben Earl, Northampton scrum-half Alex Mitchell and Tom Pearson of London Irish were also nominated.

Exiles back row Pearson was named young player of the year.

Leicester full-back Freddie Steward won the England men's player of the year award, with Sadia Kabeya taking the women's equivalent.

Gloucester scrum-half Natasha Hunt was named Premier 15s player of the year.

Many coaches agree that NCAA regionals is the most stressful tournament of the season. This year's NCAA Division I men's golf regionals certainly didn't discredit that.

Here is a closer look at each of the six sites, highlighting who advanced to the NCAA Championship, who didn't, and what the big stories were:

(Note: This is a running file and will be updated as information rolls in.)

Auburn Regional

Auburn University Club, Auburn, Alabama

Advancing teams: 1. Auburn (-1), 2. Vanderbilt (E), 3. Chattanooga (+2), 4. Ohio State (+8), 5. Colorado State (+10)
Just missed: 6. Washington (+16), 7. Indiana (+17), 8. Tennessee (+25)
Individual winners: Maxwell Moldovan, Ohio State, and Christoph Bleier, Colorado State (-7)
Advancing individual: Drew Salyers, Indiana (-4)

Final results: Team | Individual

Big story: In my opinion, the national coach of the year race is already over. That's because what Chattanooga first-year head coach Blaine Woodruff has done in Year 1 is nothing short of remarkable.

Not only did he take over a program that was ranked outside the top 130 last season and lead the Mocs to four wins, a top-50 national ranking and back to regionals for the first time since 2014.

Not only did he then guide Chattanooga to its first NCAA Championship since 2012 with a third-place finish Wednesday at the NCAA Auburn Regional.

Not only did his starting lineup for much of the season, including regionals, consist of three transfers – and really four as senior and No. 1 player Paul Conroy was in the portal briefly before returning to the program last fall.

But Woodruff has done all of that while also dealing with personal tragedy after the death of he and his wife Katie's unborn daughter, Riley Grace, less than two months ago.

"It's been really cool to see how this team's come together," Woodruff said a couple weeks ago. "As a coach, I feel like it's my job to be there for them. But really, they've been there for me. Coaches want good players, but these guys have really shown me what type of men they are and I couldn't be prouder of them...

"This has maybe added a little bit of perspective that golf's not everything. Our guys have worked hard all year, and the results have come, but I think the little pressure that they've put on themselves or the extra weight that they've carried has kind of been lifted in a way like, you know what, this is a game, and we're going to go out and compete and fight our tails off, and whatever happens at the end of the day, we can live with that."

What happened down in Auburn was nothing short of inspirational. Chattanooga got off to a hot start in Monday's opening round and held on for the 18-hole lead. That gave them more than enough cushion to advance comfortably, by 14 shots, as Conroy tied for seventh, Tennessee Wesleyan transfer John Houk tied for fourth and Oklahoma transfer Garrett Engle added a top-25 finish.

"Once [the roster] was set, it was all about trying to reestablish the culture here," Woodruff said Wednesday. "It helps having a bunch of new guys to kind of make that transition of raising our standard of what is expected, and that's not just results-wise, but on a day-to-day basis, what you need to do to be great. ... Last night kind of kind of sealed it for me, knowing that we kind of made it culture-wise. The guys were focused on winning today. There wasn't talk about just finishing top five. All of our guys had the right mindset. I knew it was going to be a battle, but I knew we were going to be there.

"Really proud of them, but the job's not done."

Bath Regional

Eagle Eye GC, Bath, Michigan

Advancing teams: 1. Georgia (-29), 2. Illinois (-21), 3. Oregon (-14), 4. Florida (-12), 5. Texas (-10)
Just missed: 6. Kansas State (-7), 7. Michigan State (-1), 8. Liberty (+3)
Individual winner: Ben van Wyk, Georgia (-10)
Advancing individual: Luke O’Neill, Kansas State (-7)

Final results: Team | Individual

Big story: Texas will get the chance to defend its NCAA title.

The Longhorns arrived in Bath with just one returner from last year's national championship squad – senior Mason Nome – in the lineup. Fellow senior Travis Vick failed to qualify and didn't travel with the team, leaving Nome, senior transfer Brian Stark and three freshmen to navigate the postseason.

The new-look bunch checked the first box on Wednesday, closing in 2 over and hanging onto the fifth and final spot out of Eagle Eye Golf Club by three shots over Kansas State.

"This team is resilient," Texas head coach John Fields said, "but this is also a good team. Like it or not, you kind of assume the value of what has happened in the past, and that's not fair to these guys. They're carrying that around with them anyway, and they definitely want to be there [Grayhawk]. There were so many moving parts this year, and I'm proud of them. That's for damn sure."

Fields put his team, which played the toughest schedule in the country, through the wringer with a six-round qualifier between conference and regionals – and during graduation. Vick didn't make it out, but Nome, freshmen Tommy Morrison and Keaton Vo took advantage to grab the three available spots alongside exempt players, Stark and freshmen Christiaan Maas. Morrison, who will now head straight to Kiawah Island, South Carolina, to team up with Tony Romo in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, led the way in Bath with a T-8 while Maas and Stark chipped in with top-25s.

Nome backed up with a 77 Wednesday to end up T-54, but the senior has perhaps played more pressure golf in the last month than anybody in the country, winning an individual event in Oklahoma before flying straight the ASU's event to join his team. He also advanced through U.S. Open locals and was T-12 at Big 12s to go along with two strenuous qualifiers prior to regionals. He made need a massage and a few days off.

In fact, the whole team may need a recharge as it prepares for a 16th straight NCAA Championship appearance, the NCAA's longest active streak.

As Fields said, he now wants his team to "free up." They've made it.

Norman Regional

Jimmie Austin OU GC, Norman, Oklahoma

Advancing teams: 1. Alabama (-28), 2. Oklahoma (-25), 3. Colorado (-23), 4. Texas Tech (-22), 5. Duke (-21)
Just missed: 6. North Florida (-20), 7. Wake Forest (-10), 8. LSU (-9)
Individual winner: Ludvig Aberg, Texas Tech (-14)
Advancing individual: Will King, Kansas (-9)

Final results: Team | Individual

Big story: A couple of weeks ago, Alabama head coach Jay Seawell reckoned that perhaps some people had forgotten about his Crimson Tide, which had missed out on an NCAA regional last season because of the .500 rule and hadn't competed in an NCAA Championship since finishing runner-up to national champion Oklahoma State in 2018 at Karsten Creek.

"We ain't dead yet," Seawell exclaimed. "I know we haven't been in the arena for a few years, but we're not dead yet, I promise."

Still kickin'.

A year ago, Alabama also was supposed to host a regional, but it had to back out because of golf course conditions that were not championship quality. Oklahoma was awarded that regional, and so it was fitting that the Tide found themselves at Jimmie Austin this week for their regional return. They disappoint either, firing 28 under to clip the host Sooners by three shots for the title. Freshmen Nick Dunlap and Jonathan Griz finished T-4 and T-11, respectively, while senior Canon Claycomb, whom Seawell says has matured tremendously and become a great leader this season, tied for ninth.

The Tide have had their fair share of ups and downs this season, but at their best, they've proven they can hang with anyone. They beat Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech at the Linger Longer earlier this spring before taking the top-ranked Commodores to the final hole in four matches in a 4-1 quarterfinal loss at SECs.

"I think we're as good as a lot of teams that people consider great in the country," Seawell said, "because we've looked them in the eye before."

Eyes still open.

Chip shots: Kansas' Will King and Ole Miss' Hugo Townsend played off for the individual spot out of this regional, and it was King, after eight extra holes, punching his ticket.

Salem Regional

The Cliffs at Keowee Falls, Salem, South Carolina

Advancing teams: 1. Georgia Tech (-53), 2. Arkansas (-45), 3. North Carolina (-43), 4. New Mexico (-42), 5. Texas A&M (-29; won playoff)
Just missed: 6. Clemson (-29; lost playoff), 7. Georgia Southern (-28), 7. San Diego State (-28), 9. Northern Illinois (-23)
Individual winner: Ryan Burnett, North Carolina (-17)
Advancing individual: Sam Lape, Furman (-15)

Final results: Team | Individual

Morgan Hill Regional

The Institute GC, Morgan Hill, California

Advancing teams: 1. Mississippi State (-1), 2. BYU (+4), 3. Florida State (+7), 4. Baylor (+9), 5. Pepperdine (+11)
Just missed: 6. California (+14), 7. Missouri (+23), 8. Arizona (+25), 8. Louisville (+25), 10. North Carolina State (+26)
Individual winner: Luke Clanton, Florida State (-6)
Advancing individual: Riley Lewis, Loyola Marymount (-4; won playoff)

Final results: Team | Individual

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Given where he was a week ago, Jordan Spieth was cautiously upbeat following his final preparations for this week’s PGA Championship.

Spieth’s status for the year’s second major had been in doubt since he withdrew from last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson with a left wrist injury. But he said Wednesday, following a nine-hole practice round, that he was pleased with the injury’s improvement.

“It’s not fun if you don’t think you’ve got a chance to win,” Speith said. “[But] if I felt like I was limited in a way that would affect my chances then there’d be no reason for me to feel like playing, because then I could further damage it and that’s not worth it.

“But since last Wednesday afternoon I feel like I can get into every position with the speed that I want and produce the scores that I want. I’m just a little rusty on the reps.”

With his left wrist and forearm taped, Spieth played the front nine on a blustery day at Oak Hill with few limitations.

“It’s more like any [shot] that I have to flick over, like a high bunker shot or a high flop shot, and you wouldn’t really have those as often as any other shot,” said Spieth, who played the back nine on Tuesday at the only major he’s never won. “I just don’t have the reps I’d like to have going into a major, but I’m happy I’m able to play because I certainly didn’t think so a week ago.”

Spieth said the injury was “random” and occurred at home in Dallas and that he’s undergone a variety of treatments on his wrist, including stem cell, laser and cold therapies. He started hitting golf balls again on Saturday and his confidence grew when he didn’t feel like he’d “taken a step back” with the injury the next day.

“I wouldn’t play if I didn’t think I was in good enough shape to play,” Spieth said.

The PGA Tour’s attempt to halt discovery in the ongoing lawsuit with LIV Golf, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and its governor was dealt a legal setback Wednesday.

A U.S. District Court judge denied the Tour’s motion to stay all discovery in the antitrust lawsuit that was filed against the circuit last August. The ruling by Judge Beth Labson Freeman covered three different discovery motions in the case and she granted a motion by the PIF to stay its portion of discovery until after the 9^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled on the Fund’s claim of sovereign immunity that should exempt it from jurisdiction in U.S. courts.

“A full halt of discovery would harm the litigation process,” Labson Freeman wrote in her 10-page ruling.

The Tour had argued that without discovery from PIF and its governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, they will not be able to defend against LIV Golf’s antitrust claims. According to court documents, PIF owns 93 percent of the startup league and the Tour has argued the fund is heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of the tour.

Eleven players who had been suspended by the Tour for playing LIV Golf events filed the lawsuit against the Tour but have since withdrawn from the case, leaving the original expedited schedule in question.

“Because the Tour’s delay tactics have unduly prolonged this case, the players have chosen to focus their time and attention on their playing careers and let LIV bear the public burden of pursuing these claims,” lawyers for LIV argued in a filing this week. “That understandable choice does not diminish the necessity or exigency of the relief sought by LIV, nor the harm to competition and all players that would ensue if the Tour succeeds in defeating through attrition the only real competitive threat it has faced in its history.”

Lawyers for the Tour responded: “There is no exigency or reason to push this case forward on an impossible schedule that will significantly prejudice the PGA Tour due to PIF’s and [Al-Rumayyan] wholesale disregard of their discovery obligations.”

LIV has requested a May 2024 trial date while the Tour has asked the court to extend the trial date to November 2024. There’s a case management conference scheduled for Monday with Labson Freeman.