The LIV Golf tournament scheduled for late June in New Orleans has been postponed.
Gov. Jeff Landry and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois made the announcement Tuesday (April 28), saying LIV Golf’s CEO asked them for the change in favor of hosting a tournament in the city this fall.
In a joint statement, Landry and Bourgeois praised LIV Golf for “good faith efforts” and said they look forward to continuing the partnership.
Tournament organizers said the new date will “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.”
The postponement comes after reports that the government of Saudi Arabia — LIV Golf’s largest backer — is likely to pull support for the league due to economic pressure from the Iran War.
State and city officials have heavily promoted the tournament as an economic boon, projecting an economic impact as high as $70 million. Officials have sunk at least $7 million into preparations, and Landry even dipped into the state’s major event fund to entice LIV Golf to come to New Orleans.
State officials say LIV Golf is expected to return most of that funding, including more than $1 million the state already paid. The company will not reimburse the $2 million the city paid to upgrade City Park ahead of the tournament.
