LIV Golf was to hold an inaugural event in Louisiana in June 2026. However, the league postponed the multi-million dollar event. While it is shocking in itself, Louisiana's official response to the major disruption didn't begin with LIV at all. And that's exactly why it's turning heads.
"First, we want to thank Zurich and PGA Tour leadership for another outstanding tournament this past weekend. We are proud of the continued partnership and the opportunities this event brings to our state each year," reads the opening paragraph of the official joint statement released by Governor Jeff Landry and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois.
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This reads like a polite but unmistakable dig at LIV Golf. Although it is a press release directly related to a LIV Golf event, it starts by thanking the PGA Tour and its leadership. The PGA Tour completed the Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 last week. The event ran from April 23 to April 26, 2026, and saw brothers Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick win the $9.5 million event.
New Orleans has been a crucial stop on the PGA Tour schedule since 1938. Before becoming the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2005, the state had hosted the event under many different names, including the New Orleans Open and the Greater New Orleans Open.
The subtle jab at LIV Golf came in as Louisiana's attempt to bring the breakaway league to play an event there seems to have hit an obstacle.
In August 2025, amid the fanfare, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announced that New Orleans's Bayou Oaks Golf Course at City Park will host a LIV Golf event. This involved a $7.2 million incentive package
. Of this, $5 million was to go to LIV Golf and an additional $2.2 million to the City Park's course improvements.
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While Landry faced some backlash for this move, he was confident that this new partnership would deliver an economic impact of $60 million. Even Bourgeois supported this vision of economic impact. However, when news of PIF cutting LIV Golf funding began to spread, the state started asking Scott O'Neil questions. As a response, he said that the league has decided to postpone the event
.
"Secretary Bourgeois spoke with LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil on Friday and was informed that the organization seeks to postpone its June 2026 event in New Orleans to 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, except the $2 million already invested in upgrades for City Park, ensuring those improvements remain in place for the community," the statement read, addressing the postponement of the $20 million event.
"We appreciate LIV's good-faith efforts and look forward to maintaining our partnership as we continue conversations around an event later this year."
The first thought that comes to mind is that the decision results from the financial struggles of the breakaway league. However, there's another reason behind the postponement.
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One of the primary reasons given for the fall move is to avoid peak summer heat. Apart from that, improving course conditions and sidestepping World Cup-related viewing conflicts are also possible reasons. Despite those practical reasons, multiple reports tie the postponement to larger uncertainty around LIV's funding.
Regardless of the reason, canceling the event altogether could be a challenging move for LIV Golf. As Senate President Cameron Henry had said, "We have a claw-back provision should they falter."
If the league decides to cancel the event, it will have to pay all the money it received from Louisiana. This includes any transactions from the $5 million investment promised to LIV Golf.
Although LIV Golf is facing its biggest financial troubles to date, the cancellation of LIV Golf Louisiana remains highly unlikely for one core reason.
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LIV Golf has funding to run through this season
Scott O'Neil admitted that PIF is cutting funding from 2027. However, he also revealed that the league has already secured the funding to run through the current season. Even when the news about the financial problems was starting to emerge, O'Neil had sent a clear message to the staff.
"I want to be crystal clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle," he wrote in an email circulated within the organization.
In fact, he even requested the staff ignore media speculations. Although a lot has changed since then, his statement has always been that funding is there for the 2026 season. This hints that LIV Golf Louisiana is more likely to happen than not.
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Even with funding in place for 2026, LIV Golf now finds itself navigating questions that go beyond scheduling. This context makes Louisiana's carefully worded statement feel less incidental and more like a subtle signal of where confidence currently stands.
The post Louisiana Governor Seemingly Throws Shade at LIV Golf With Bold PGA Tour Remarks
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