Golf-Caddies lose lawsuit vs. PGA Tour, ponder next step

Feb 10 (Reuters) - Professional caddies were scheduled to
meet at Pebble Beach on Wednesday night and discuss whether to
continue fighting the PGA Tour after losing a class action
lawsuit contending they were forced to wear bibs featuring
corporate logos that made them 'human billboards'.
One caddie told Reuters he had lost the stomach to appeal
the ruling, while the president of the caddies' association told
Golf Channel he was ready to put the matter behind him.
The lawsuit, filed just over a year ago in U.S. federal
court in California, said the PGA Tour threatened to prevent the
caddies from working at tournaments organised and promoted by
the organisation if they refused to wear the bibs.
The lawsuit also claimed that the PGA Tour reaps more than
$50 million annually from the endorsements, but the caddies
receive no compensation.
However United States District Judge Vince Chhabria on
Tuesday dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, saying: "The
caddies' overall complaint about poor treatment by the Tour has
merit, but this federal lawsuit about bibs does not."
The caddies, who were seeking a permanent injunction against
the practice of wearing bibs, help their players select clubs
and read the greens during tournaments.
Mike Hicks, the lead plaintiff, has been a caddie for nearly
35 years and has worked for leading golfers such as Greg Norman,
Payne Stewart, Steve Stricker and Justin Leonard.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 168 caddies in the U.S. who
wear or have worn bibs with the logos of the PGA Tour's
sponsors, claimed the Tour interfered with the caddies' ability
to compete in the market, alleged antitrust violations, breach
of contract and violations of California state law.
Now that the judge has dismissed the lawsuit, each of the
168 caddies must decide individually whether to appeal.
The caddies had a previously-scheduled meeting planned at
the PGA Tour stop in Pebble Beach, California on Wednesday. The
lawsuit ruling immediately went to the top of the unofficial
agenda.
"To be honest, I don't think I really want to continue,"
said one caddie, who asked not to be named. "The system has
spoken."
He added that the lawsuit had been mentally draining and
that he wanted to get back to focusing on his job.
James Edmondson, president of the Association of
Professional Tour Caddies, sounded a similar theme.
"I respect the court's decision and do not plan to go any
further with it," he told GolfChannel.com.
The PGA Tour said in a statement that they were "pleased by
the court's decision" in their favour.
"We look forward to putting this matter behind us and moving
forward in a positive direction with the caddies."
In his ruling, judge Chhabria said: "Caddies have been
required to wear the bibs for decades. So caddies know, when
they enter the profession, that wearing a bib during tournaments
is part of the job. In other words, the bib is the primary part
of a caddie's uniform."