Vijah Singh’s battle with PGA

Vijah Singh’s lawsuit against the PGA Tour is finally heading to trial after four long years, and he wants his pound of flesh - or should that be venison? 

Judge Eileen Bransten has issued a decision favourable to Singh on motions that had been pending since last Autumn, denying in part the tour’s motion for summary judgment.

“We can proceed to trial,” said Singh’s attorney Peter Ginsberg when contacted by Golf Digest.

The suit was originally filed before the 2013 Players Championship, and claims the tour was negligent in its handling of Singh’s anti–doping violation and breached its implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, which caused harm to his reputation.

According to Ginsberg, the case centres around the argument that the tour failed to consult the World Anti–Doping Agency as obligated when investigating Singh for violating its anti–doping policy, as well as statements made to the media by the then commissioner Tim Finchem and comments from Tour Vice President Ty Votaw.

“For perhaps the first time the PGA Tour is going to be held responsible for its treatment of a professional golfer,” Ginsberg said when contacted by Golf Digest. “And for its improper administration of its disciplinary policies.”

In a January 2013 Sports Illustrated article, Singh admitted to using a deer–antler spray and was suspended for three months for violating the tour’s anti-doping policy.

The tour then dropped the suspension, saying the WADA had changed its stance on IGF-1, which is banned by the tour and WADA, and deer-antler spray, which contains a form of IGF-1 but not the version that is prohibited.

Clearly Vijah is extremely protective of his reputation, especially given his well–known historic issues, which we won’t dwell on here. So he will be wanting his pound of flesh, or would that be venison in this instance?!

With or without deer–antler spray, it was good to see 54–year–old Vijah back in contention at the Players Championship. He finished T16, and had  three decent rounds of 70, 68, and 70, but also chucked in a 79 on the third day.

Related:

Youngest ever winner at The Players Championship