In summary

  • South Australian Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis says it's now unlikely the 2027 LIV Adelaide event will go ahead.
  • Kooyonga Golf Club has filed a motion in the US bankruptcy court demanding confirmation from LIV by November 6.
  • LIV stars including Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert remain uncommitted to what CEO Scott O'Neil has branded LIV 2.0.

The first concession that embattled LIV Golf might not return to Adelaide in 2027 has come as the new host club set a deadline for confirmation from those in charge of the bankrupt league.

South Australian Treasurer,Tom Koutsantonis, revealed on Thursday that having been in constant communication since LIV filed for bankruptcy early in September he believed t was “unlikely" the 2027 event would go ahead.

That concession came as Kooyonga Golf Club, which was set to take over hosting duties from The Grange, filed a motion in the US bankruptcy court demanding to know by November 6 whether LIV would meet its tournament obligations.

A letter sent to Kooyonga members outlined the reasons for the action.  the 2027 LIV Adelaide event will go ahead.

“We have taken the step of filing a motion seeking these protections because under Chapter 11, a company can otherwise take a long time to decide whether to continue with its existing agreements,” the letter stated.

“Our motion is a normal part of the Chapter 11 process, which places the burden on counterparties to file such motions to protect their interests.

“Our support for the event hasn’t changed. We want to see the event go ahead at Kooyonga. We remain in regular contact with LIV Golf, the state government and other stakeholders.”

A host of LIV stars including Jon Rahm and Australians Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert remain uncommitted to going forward with what LIV CEO, Scott O’Neil has branded LIV 2.0 having secured a small amount of funding from a new investor.

The Ripper GC guy face an uncertain time.

But LIV officials have 35 days from the bankruptcy filing to confirm players including Rahm, Smith and Bryson DeChambeau will be part of the new-look LIV for that new funding to be confirmed.

It’s believed LIV won’t or can’t honour many of the player contracts in place which includes upwards of $7 million owed to Smith and Herbert alone.

With that uncertainty lingering, the South Australian treasurer told ABC radio that while they feared for LIV’s future in Adelaide, it wouldn’t cost taxpayers a cent

“I’ll just reassure taxpayers that we don't pay anything to LIV in advance; we only pay once the tournament has been successfully staged, so we pay in arrears,” he said.

“So, if the tournament doesn't go ahead, we won't be paying anything, so taxpayers are protected. Kooyonga is right to be asking these questions of LIV about whether it will be staged, what would it look like, who's coming. These are questions that LIV have to answer.

Asked directly whether he believed the event would go ahead, the Treasured delivered the hammer blow.

 “I hope so, but it's looking unlikely,” he said.

Kooyonga was slated to be the interim host, for 2027 only, before the projected move to the newly built course in North Adelaide, having been played at The Grange for four years. 

LIV has no schedule yet for 2027, but O’Neil said LIV 2.0 would be played in 10 countries.