LIV Golf’s planned tournament in New Orleans in late June will be postponed, sources told ESPN on Monday, as the league continues to try to find additional funding after Saudi Arabia’s Investment Fund withdrew its commitment to continue funding the spin-off.
The tournament was scheduled to be played June 25-28 at Bayou Oaks in City Park, Louisiana.
The statement is expected to be issued on Tuesday, according to sources.
Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois pressed LIV Golf officials to make the decision several weeks ago.
Sources with knowledge of LIV Golf operations confirmed that the league has been working with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry’s office and the Louisiana Economic Development agency to consider possible new dates in the fall.
LIV Golf sources said the league is trying to avoid the extreme summer heat, ensure the courses are at their best and avoid the presence and conflicts of television viewers and the World Cup.
However, the future of LIV Golf is still in doubt after the PIF reportedly withdrew its sponsorship for this season. On April 15, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil told employees in an email that the 2026 season “is proceeding as planned, uninterrupted and in full swing.”
The next LIV Golf Tournament is scheduled to be played May 7-10 at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, owned by US President Donald Trump.
The PIF has invested more than $5 billion in the league since its inception in 2022, reportedly spending $100 million a month over the past three years. Much of that money was spent on golfer contracts and tournament purses, which rose from $25 million to $30 million this season. An additional $5 million went into the team’s coffers.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and PIF chairman Mohammed bin Salman approved a five-year strategy for the sovereign wealth fund focused on domestic initiatives. The program did not mention LIV Golf.
Louisiana had already spent $2 million on upgrading courses to host the LIV Golf tournament, according to sources, and was poised to spend another $5 million. LIV Golf has agreed to return the $1.2 million it received.
LIV Golf has seven tournaments remaining this season, including four in the United States.
“The reality is you’re funded during the season and you work like crazy as a business to create a business and a business plan to keep us going,” O’Neil said last week while broadcasting the opening round of the LIV Golf tournament in Mexico City. “But that’s no different than any other equity-funded private enterprise in human history.”
