The PGA Tour have responded after 11 LIV Golf stars, including Phil Mickelson, Ian Poulter and Bryson DeChambeau, filed an antitrust lawsuit against the American circuit.
On Wednesday it emerged that 11 LIV Golf defectors had taken action against the PGA Tour to challenge their suspension in the latest battle in the sport's civil war.
The group included three players - Hudson Swafford, Talor Gooch and Matt Jones - who are looking for a temporary restraining order to allow them to compete in the FedEx Cup play-offs, which kick off next week.
As well as Mickelson, DeChambeau, Poulter and the three others mentioned above, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Pat Perez, Jason Kokrak and Peter Uilhein have put their names to the lawsuit - arguing that the PGA Tour is attempting to hinder their careers.
"The Tour's conduct serves no purpose other than to cause harm to players and foreclose the entry of the first meaningful competitive threat the Tour has faced in decades," the lawsuit, which was filed in the US District Court of Northern California, states.
"The purpose of this action is to strike down the PGA Tour's anticompetitive rules and practices that prevent these independent-contractor golfers from playing when and where they choose."
The PGA Tour have since responded to the lawsuit, with commissioner Jay Monahan penning: "We have been preparing to protect our membership and contest this latest attempt to disrupt our TOUR, and you should be confident in the legal merits of our position.
His statement added: "Let me be clear: we will continue to defend the members who abide by the regulations written by and for the players."
This is not the first batch of sanctions to be placed onto the LIV rebels, after the PGA Tour's European counterparts - the DP World Tour issued fines of £100,000 each, as well as banning them from July's Scottish Open. Poulter was one of three players who successfully overturned the banning order to compete at The Renaissance Club.
In the midst of the saga, 2016 US Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III called for PGA Tour players to 'boycott' events if the breakaway circuit's defectors were allowed to return.
"If the LIV guys sue and are allowed to play on the PGA Tour, the players are enough fed up with it," Love said in a press conference.
"We understand that we make the rules on the PGA Tour and the commissioner is enforcing our rules and we don't want those guys playing, coming and cherry-picking our tournaments. We hold all the cards. We say to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and to Washington, 'No, we support the rules. We don't want those guys playing. We don't care what the courts say'. The nuclear option is to say 'Fine, if they have to play in our events we just won't play'."
Big American stars such as Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and DeChambeau have all made the controversial move, and without a PGA Tour membership will be ineligible to compete at this year's Presidents Cup - where Love III will act as US captain.
The American skipper went on to reveal that he has spoken to those that have made - or thinking of making - the Saudi switch, and warned them of the 'consequences'.
Love III went on: "I told the players that I've talked to that have gone or thinking about going, it's your decision and you do what's right for you, but understand (the) consequences," Love added.
"I tried to sound like my dad and I probably wasn't very good at it. I didn't argue. I said you can be Tiger Woods or you can be banned from the game, take your pick. But understanding the consequences, you signed up for these rules.
