​Two companies are claiming in court that the LIV Golf League essentially stole their ideas as they prepared to launch the Saudi Arabia–backed circuit, and they are now pursuing damages. According to ESPN, lawyers for English firms World Golf Group (WGG) and Premier Golf League (PGL) are seeking between $210 million and $630 million in damages from LIV Golf, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and various individuals and entities, alleging breach of confidence and unlawful means conspiracy. ESPN said it has obtained court records from the Commercial Court in London dating to April, noting that the records have not been made public but were verified as authentic by two independent sources. The suit names former WGG founders Richard Marsh and Jed Moore, accusing them of breach of fiduciary duty for helping PIF launch LIV Golf in June 2022. The complaint states that “The Claimants conceived the idea for a new golf league called the Premier Golf League,” and that over several years they refined the league’s format and developed business plans, contracts, financial models, and other intellectual property that provided the blueprint for LIV Golf’s launch and success. The defendants are alleged to have conspired to use the claimants’ confidential information without permission to launch the LIV Golf League. LIV Golf did not comment on the matter when approached. The suit describes LIV Golf as a “bald facsimile of the PGL,” and contends that PGL’s leaders first conceived of shotgun starts, 54-hole events (which were later extended to 72 holes this year), simultaneous individual and team competitions, knockout rounds in team championships, and four-player franchises with a captain. The complaint traces the idea of a world golf league back to 2009, when Andy Gardiner initially conceived it and later enlisted Richard Marsh as a consultant in 2016. Over time, 30 founders joined the World Golf Group in 2018. The plaintiffs allege that in 2019, while WGG was trying to secure financing, Gardiner and Moore met with PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan about possible Saudi investment in the Premier Golf League. Moore had also been in contact with Golf Saudi CEO Majed Al Sorour, and the suit claims that Al Sorour and other PIF representatives were subsequently given access to online data that allowed them to view business plans, promotional materials, financial models, and potential golfer contracts. The lawsuit further contends that PGL secured $1 billion in shares from Raine Mulligan Co. in late 2019 and that PIF agreed to contribute $490 million, with the condition that the league sign top-tier players who were PGA Tour members at the time. The plaintiffs assert there were discussions with major champions and their agents, including Phil Mickelson and Justin Thomas, though the document does not specify all details. The case highlights the continuing legal battles surrounding LIV Golf’s emergence and the competing claims that the league appropriated ideas and intellectual property developed by PGL and WGG.