It is official lookahead season for Liv Golf, who has just seen his 2025 calendar, but started promoting all his events for next year. Under their stops: New Orleans, an old PGA Tour-Gastheer who has never organized the rival competition.
An important reason why Liv has found a new home in Nola is … money. At least $ 5 million, thanks to the state of Louisiana, transferred as a “hosting fee” to bring some of the best golfers in the world to the Bayou.
It costs a lot of money to produce LIV events in the range of $ 50-60 million and, in contrast to the PGA Tour, LIV operates them all. And lately, to guarantee a LIV visit to your area, it requires something in advance. In June the senators of the state of Louisiana have labeled More than $ 7 million taxpayers Dollars in a budget proposal from 2026 for a LIV event, which flourished this week with the tournament announcement. $ 5 million easy to host, and then $ 2 million to get the host course – Bayou Oaks, a Muni – in shape for the tournament.
LIV tournament locations have often landed in deals such as these, both in the interior and abroad. For example, hosting a LIV event in Australia needs many negotiations with local officials and state leaders. In that case it led to a deal until 2031, the longest of Liv’s annual events. In the case of domestic hosts such as New Orleans, the deals are not nearly that long. Liv Golf visited Chicago each of the first four seasons, the last two were held in Bolingbrook Golf Club on the south side of the city. But it is unlikely that LIV will return to Chicago in 2026 a lack of financial dedication from the state of Illinois.
“We only go where we are welcome with open arms,” said Liv CEO Scott O’Neil during the press conference of the Nola announcement. It is not the first time he said that. The payment of such a deal, he claims, is simply an investment in the local economy. “We fill seats on aircraft, we fill hotel rooms, we fill restaurants and we put some wave of world class,” said O’Neil during the LIV event in Hong Kong earlier this year.
Of course, funds from the taxpayer are always reserved for a specific event, tax -paying citizens are entitled to a statement. The LIV financing is comparable, although in total much larger, with money that is paid to lure other sporting events – such as a UFC fight – to Louisiana. But navigating through the job of LIV has always been more difficult in view of the controversy surrounding the financial backer, the public investment fund of Saudi Arabia and its human rights record.
Louisiana – Governor Jeff Landry responded quickly to questions about state financing that landed a rival golf tour – especially when the PGA Tour visits New Orleans in April.
“We wanted to try to get something in the city during the summer,” Landry told reporters this week. “We want New Orleans to become a city where people are in January to December.”
Landry called Bayou Oaks “one of the roughest diamonds to simply be polished”, and lowered the concern about Liv’s financial backer before he compliments the LIV format for a clear feeling of the more traditional Zurich classic of the PGA Tour.
“I went to one golf tournament and I can’t go because they keep it up Calm Signs, “Landry said after entering the announcement phase in the midst of a flurry of stars.” I just don’t like it. That’s why I love Liv Golf. There are none Calm to draw. It’s a party. “
New Orleans is the 13th site that is announced, leaving another stop on the LIV calendar of 2026 that still has to be announced.
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