LIV Golf’s June stop in New Orleans will not be happening, according to a number of local and now national reports.
The story was originally broken by WDSU, a Louisiana TV station, and has since been confirmed with additional sources by the likes of Reuters and New York Times.
The inaugural LIV Golf Louisiana event was due to be played over the South course at Bayou Oaks in New Orleans City Park from June 25-28, but organizers have apparently made the decision to avoid a clash with the soccer World Cup – which takes place across the US, Canada and Mexico this summer – as it could impact attendances and viewership. There are also concerns about the high temperatures in Louisiana at that time of year.
Sources say LIV Golf will return the event hosting fee to the city of New Orleans, though a September or October date is also being considered.
It comes at a testing time for LIV as the league’s financial backer, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, considers pulling out of its main golf project, with CEO Scott O’Neil later confirming that funding would end following the 2026 campaign.
“The reality is that you’re funded through the season, and then you work like crazy as a business to create a business and a business plan to keep us going,” he told TNT in an interview that was soon deleted.