LIV Golf’s 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 O’Neil and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois took place. Those talks came after reports surfaced that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund — LIV’s financial backbone — 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 league’s hosting fees. LIV has since agreed to reimburse the $1.2 million it had already received.
Bourgeois and O’Neil have expressed hope of “returning to the table” later this year to explore a different tournament format or a “re‑envisioned event” in the fall — a window that remains conspicuously open on LIV Golf’s calendar. At present, the league has no fall events scheduled, with its season set to conclude with the team championship in August.
“First, we want to thank Zurich and PGA Tour leadership for another outstanding tournament this past weekend,” Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said. “We are proud of the continued partnership and the opportunities this event brings to our state each year.
“Secretary 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."
As for the public dollars already spent, the state’s 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 — now slated for reimbursement — 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 “an acceptable enhancement to a state asset,” regardless of whether LIV ultimately returns to New Orleans this year.
For now, the future of LIV Golf in Louisiana remains unresolved.
“We have made the strategic decision to explore moving LIV Golf Louisiana to a new window,” LIV Golf told The Associated Press in a statement. “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.
“We 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.”
“We appreciate LIV’s good-faith efforts and look forward to maintaining our partnership as we continue conversations around an event later this year,” 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
