Adelaide club files motion as future over LIV Golf event under a cloud
Kooyonga Golf Club has filed motion in the US bankruptcy courts in a bid for a response from LIV Golf about the tournament’s future on the course in Adelaide.
The future of LIV Golf is under a dark cloud after the organisation filed for bankruptcy following the withdrawal of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Cameron Smith thanks the crowd during LIV Golf Adelaide. nna\emily.patterson
The decision has left a number of athletes in limbo, with the likes of Australia’s Cameron Smith unsure of his involvement in the breakaway league going forward.
But athletes are not the only ones waiting on updates from LIV Golf, the tournament’s host venues, like Kooyonga, are also searching for solid answers.
Kooyonga was set to host the popular tournament in March next year, securing the rights to the events that was held at Adelaide’s The Grange the past four years.
The event would be a one-off for the club, with LIV Adelaide scheduled to move to the redeveloped North Adelaide Golf Course from 2028.
But with LIV chief executive Scott O’Neil still chasing investors to fund ‘LIV 2.0’, it is unclear if Adelaide will host any events like they are contracted to until 2031.
Kooyonga informed its members that the club had taken legal action to seek answers as to whether the existing agreement will be upheld.
The club made clear it still wants to see the event go ahead in March.
South Australian treasurer Tom Koutsantonis is not as optimistic, though.
“I hope so, but it’s looking unlikely,” he told ABC Adelaide when asked about the event.
He added: “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.
“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, and look, we understand that, but the government is working very hard to make sure that we’ve got a replacement with the Australian Open, men and women coming over the next six years to South Australia, so that’s a good outcome to replace LIV.
“But, this is a matter for LIV and LIV have to answer these questions to Kooyonga.”
