NEW ORLEANS (AP) — LIV Golf’s inaugural tournament in New Orleans that was scheduled for the end of June is likely to be postponed until the fall, according to multiple reports.
New Orleans television station WDSU and Nola.com were among the first to report Monday the June 25-28 event at Bayou Oaks at City Park was being moved to later in the year.
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An announcement by LIV Golf and the Louisiana Economic Development was expected Tuesday.
That would mean LIV Golf would not have any tournaments in the United States for a three-month period from northern Virginia on May 7-10 at Trump National until the Aug. 6-9 tournament at Trump Bedminster in New Jersey.
The development comes two weeks LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil assured staff and players the season would continue “uninterrupted and at full throttle.” O’Neil was responding to speculation the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia would no longer provide financial support to a league that already has spend more than $5 billion since it began in 2022.
LIV Golf is said to be looking to move the New Orleans event to the fall to avoid peak summer temperatures, ensure the course is in championship shape and to avoid attendance and viewership conflicts with the World Cup.
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New Orleans is not hosting any World Cup matches.
Louisiana officials said last August when the tournament was announced they had agreed to pay LIV Golf $5 million and spend an additional $2.2 million on improvements to the Bayou Oaks course in City Park.
WDSU reported Louisiana will be repaid $1 million, which the state had already paid to LIV in advance of the tournament.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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