SINGAPORE, October 24, 2011 (AFP) - Four players who fell foul of Asia's "golf war" when they were suspended and fined for taking part in a rival circuit launched a court case against the Asian Tour on Monday.
The four, who broke Asian Tour ranks to play events organised by OneAsia, allege restraint of trade and are seeking damages at Singapore High Court, their lawyer, Christopher Anand Daniel, told AFP.
"The players claim that certain rules in the Asian Tour's rules and regulations are unreasonable restraint of trade because they seek to stop the players from playing tournaments not organised or sanctioned by the Asian Tour," Daniel said.
"The players also say that the decisions not to allow them to play, and to impose penalties and suspensions on them for playing on the other tour, were motivated by bad faith on the part of the Asian Tour and some of its officers."
The four -- Australia's Terry Pilkadaris and Matthew Griffin, Dutchman Guido van der Valk, and Anis Helmi Hassan of Malaysia -- were sanctioned under Asian Tour rules after playing OneAsia events last year.
A fifth player, Scotland's Simon Yates, is not taking part in the case.
The court action follows tensions between the bigger, more established Asian Tour and OneAsia, which was launched in 2009.
Daniel said the case would be heard this week but a judgment may not come until early next year. The Asian Tour preferred not to comment because the case is ongoing.