LIV Golf set to postpone major event after US Government demanded talks about shutdown rumours

LIV Golf is expected to postpone the June event in New Orleans as concerns it will lose its funding continue to increase.

It's not even been five years since LIV Golf was announced back in October 2021 and it appears that the league may be on the brink of a complete collapse.

In early April the first reports that the Saudi-backed league was facing troubles emerged, with rumours of an upcoming "seismic” announcement circulating.

Since then, further reports have suggested that the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) was considering pulling their backing due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The reports caused concerns among Louisiana officials ahead of LIV Golf's visit New Orleans for the first time ever from June 25–28.

In an email sent to LIV Golf, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois demanded a meeting with LIV officials, stating she needed reassurance April 20 or the event could be in danger of postponement or cancellation.

Ahead of the event, the state of Louisiana has reportedly spent a huge $7m (£5.1m), with LIV Golf receiving $5m (£3.7m) as a hosting fee and the remaining $2m (£1.5m) going towards improving the Bayou Oaks course.

But now, it appears that a postponement is all but certain, with a report from BBC Sport stating that Saudi Arabia-backed league has been in talks with local authorities about rescheduling the tournament to September or October.

The report claim that officials are looking to move the event to later in the year to avoid the peak summer heat and make sure that the Bayou Oaks course is in the best condition possible.

It is also reported that the delay is being considered to prevent a clash with the football World Cup taking place across North America this summer.

Should the New Orleans event be postponed it means that LIV Golf will not hold an event in the USA for a three-month period from May 10 until August 6.

As it stands, it is expected that LIV Golf, the governor of Louisiana and Louisiana Economic Development will all release a joint statement about the event on Tuesday (April 28).

Although it is not known exactly why the postponement will take place, the decision certainly won't do much to reassure those worried about the league's uncertain future.