LIV Golf Officially Postpones June Event, While Raising More Questions

The league said it was postponing a summer visit to New Orleans due to heat and the World Cup, but other conflicts would arise with playing in the fall.

LIV Golf will not play its originally scheduled June event in New Orleans. | Michele Eve Sandberg/Icon Sportswire

The LIV Golf League made official Tuesday its decision to postpone a June tournament scheduled for the New Orleans area, saying it was done to avoid summer heat and the potential for conflict with soccer’s World Cup.

The decision comes in the aftermath of reports that LIV Golf’s financial underpinning from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia was in danger of drying up and that the league was only fully funded through this year.

Original reports suggested that the state of Louisiana was concerned about the event and its financial obligation if the league were to cancel the tournament.

LIV Golf Louisiana, scheduled for June 25–28, was to be LIV’s ninth event on its 14-tournament schedule and the league in a statement made mention of trying to play it at another time in the fall.

Louisiana governor Jeff Landry, in a statement, first made mention of the PGA Tour’s visit to the area over the weekend at the Zurich Classic and noted attempts to reschedule the LIV event for later in the year.

“First, we want to thank Zurich and PGA Tour leadership for another outstanding tournament this past weekend,” Landry said. “We are proud of the continued partnership and the opportunities this event brings to our state each year.

“Secretary [Susan] Bourgeois spoke with LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil 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.

“We appreciate LIV’s good-faith efforts and look forward to maintaining our partnership as we continue conversations around an event later this year.”

In its own statement, LIV Golf said that it “made the strategic decision to explore moving LIV Golf Louisiana to a new window later this fall. This 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.”

That statement will raise further questions.

The pitfalls of a potential reschedule to the fall in Louisiana

The tournament was announced as part of LIV’s schedule last August and surely all involved were aware then of the summer heat in Louisiana. And given LIV’s reported financial plight at this time, postponing a tournament only adds to the angst.

Playing in the fall in Louisiana certainly comes with its challenges. The heat is still oppressive and it’s hurricane season. Also, if there is a sporting conflict then, it’s college football.

From a purely competitive standpoint, LIV Golf will not have a tournament following its Spain event June 4–7 until the U.K. tournament July 23–26.

Also, it is unclear if this means that the league is shrinking to a 13-event schedule with 12 counting toward the individual title or if the Louisiana event to be rescheduled will be part of that. LIV Golf Indianapolis in August has been billed as LIV’s individual season championship.

LIV is scheduled to play next week in Virginia at Trump National DC.