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LIV Golf's planned June event in New Orleans has been officially postponed due to funding concerns from its financial backer, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. Discussions between LIV and Louisiana officials led to the decision to pause the event.
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LIV Golfâs planned June stop in New Orleans has officially been put on ice.
After multiple reports surfaced on Monday that the circuit might be considering postponing the event, the state of Louisiana and LIV Golf confirmed the decision with statements on Tuesday.
The event, scheduled for Bayou Oaks at City Park, was postponed after discussions between LIV CEO Greg OâNeil and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois took place. Those talks came after reports surfaced that Saudi Arabiaâs Public Investment Fund â LIVâs financial backbone â was preparing to pull its funding. The result was a mutual decision to pause rather than proceed.
Louisiana had committed roughly $7 million to bring LIV to New Orleans, including $5 million earmarked for the leagueâs hosting fees. LIV has since agreed to reimburse the $1.2 million it had already received.
Bourgeois and OâNeil have expressed hope of âreturning to the tableâ later this year to explore a different tournament format or a âreâenvisioned eventâ in the fall â a window that remains conspicuously open on LIV Golfâs calendar. At present, the league has no fall events scheduled, with its season set to conclude with the team championship in August.
Captain Sergio Garcia of Fireballs GC hits his shot from the first tee during the pro-am before the start of the LIV Golf Hong Kong at Hong Kong Golf Club Fanling on Wednesday, March 04, 2026 in Fanling, Hong Kong. (Photo by Mike Stobe/LIV Golf)
âFirst, we want to thank Zurich and PGA Tour leadership for another outstanding tournament this past weekend,â Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said. âWe are proud of the continued partnership and the opportunities this event brings to our state each year.
The event was postponed due to concerns that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which finances LIV Golf, was preparing to pull its funding.
Louisiana had committed approximately $7 million, including $5 million for hosting fees.
LIV Golf and Louisiana officials hope to explore a different tournament format or a re-envisioned event later this year.
LIV Golf's season is set to conclude with the team championship in August.
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âSecretary Bourgeois spoke with LIV Golf CEO Scott OâNeil and was informed that the organization seeks to postpone its June 2026 event in New Orleans and explore a potential event this fall. The state has already paid $3.2 million in accordance with the contract. LIV is expected to return all state incentive funds, with the exception of the $2 million already invested in upgrades for City Park, ensuring those improvements remain in place for the community."
As for the public dollars already spent, the stateâs exposure is more limited than initially planned.
By the time the postponement became official on Tuesday, Louisiana had spent approximately $3.2 million of its $7 million commitment. That included the $1.2 million hosting fee â now slated for reimbursement â along with roughly $2 million invested in renovations and improvements to the Bayou Oaks course.
Those upgrades, according to the agreement between the parties, are expected to remain in place. The improvements were deemed âan acceptable enhancement to a state asset,â regardless of whether LIV ultimately returns to New Orleans this year.
For now, the future of LIV Golf in Louisiana remains unresolved.
âWe have made the strategic decision to explore moving LIV Golf Louisiana to a new window,â LIV Golf told The Associated Press in a statement. âThis shift allows us to avoid the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar while ensuring the course is in the championship condition our fans and players expect.
âWe are grateful for the continued partnership and flexibility of the state of Louisiana as we work together to deliver a world-class debut this fall. Our team is focused on maintaining the strong momentum of the 2026 season and we look forward to sharing finalized dates in the near future.â
âWe appreciate LIVâs good-faith efforts and look forward to maintaining our partnership as we continue conversations around an event later this year,â Landry added.
Tim Schmitt is the managing editor of Golfweek. USA Today contributed to this reporting.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: LIV Golf officially postpones New Orleans tournament