Vijay’s suit against PGA goes to trial

NEW YORK: A New York State Supreme Court judge has ruled that a lawsuit by former World No 1 Vijay Singh of Fiji against the US PGA Tour should go to trial.

Judge Eileen Bransten partially denied the tour’s request for a summary judgment on the case filed by Vijay in May 2013 in which the three-time major champion, now 54, claimed the tour “recklessly administered its anti-doping programme.”

Vijay claimed the US PGA Tour unfairly suspended him for using deer-antler spray that contained the banned substance IGF-1, something he admitted doing in a January 2013 Sports Illustrated article.

Vijay said the tour banned him before consulting with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which ruled the deer-antler spray was not a violation if there was no failed drug test.

The tour dropped the disciplinary action against Vijay, but Vijay argued there was damage done to his reputation.

“It is up to a jury to determine whether (the PGA Tour’s) decision to not consult the WADA and/or ignore WADA studies and findings prior to (Vijay’s) suspension concerning deer-antler spray constitute an ‘appropriate’ investigation,” Eileen wrote.

She also said that “the extent of damages, if any, should be assessed and decided at trial” and that the issue of whether or not comments by tour officials violated good faith expectations “remains viable.” AFP