South Australia is hedging its bets on LIV Golf. With the PGA Tour now committing $2 million to elevate the Australian Open at the same venue, Premier Peter Malinauskas made clear the state is no longer fully reliant on LIV’s future.
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“They intend to be here next year, but I’m not banking on the fact that they will be,” Malinauskas said, per Golf.com’s Evin Priest. “If they’re not, it doesn’t cost us anything.”
Asked by ABC whether he believes LIV will return, Malinauskas said he’s relaying what the league told him. He noted LIV gave advance notice of its Chapter 11 filing, comparing it to corporate restructurings by Delta or Marvel. He appreciated the transparency but stressed South Australia loses nothing if LIV doesn’t come back.
The tone is a sharp shift from February 2025, when Malinauskas announced a six‑year deal to keep LIV in Adelaide until 2031, including a move to a new Greg Norman‑designed course at North Adelaide. The government committed at least $45 million to upgrades, removing 585 trees despite opposition from parklands groups. At the time, Malinauskas defended the spending as necessary given LIV’s long‑term commitment.
That commitment unraveled quickly. In April 2026, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund said it would stop funding LIV after the 2026 season. LIV has since filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, listing $500 million–$1 billion in liabilities and millions owed to players including Jon Rahm ($7.5M), Bryson DeChambeau ($5.7M), and Cameron Smith ($4.8M).
LIV CEO Scott O’Neil insists the league plans to return in 2027 with a player‑first ownership model, but court approval is required.
South Australia already secured another option. In May, the state won hosting rights for both men’s and women’s Australian Opens at the redeveloped North Adelaide course from 2028 to 2034. Then in June, Golf Australia announced a new partnership with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour covering 2027–29.
The deal boosts prize money, strengthens the tournament’s calendar slot, and helps attract top players. The Australian Open, first played in 1904, is the fifth‑oldest national championship. The 2026 edition runs December 3–6 at Kingston Heath in Melbourne, with Rory McIlroy and Cameron Smith confirmed.
Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland wants the event to rank among the world’s top 10. The purse currently sits at AU$2 million, but is expected to rise after 2027 under the new partnership.
Trump’s ownership shadow looms. At Turnberry in Scotland, the R&A removed the course from the Open rota in 2021, citing concerns about focus shifting to Trump. Protests are already planned in Dublin and County Clare around his expected visit to Adelaide, and the course has been vandalized twice in the past 18 months.
South Australian ministers Clare Scriven and Nick Champion now emphasize the state is not “over‑reliant” on LIV. Malinauskas hasn’t ruled out LIV’s return, but he wants Adelaide’s 2027 event to meet the high standard the city has built.
Local commentator Jimmy Emanuel expects some form of LIV to continue, though “not quite as grand” without Saudi backing.
In 2025, South Australia justified $45 million in spending by tying it to LIV’s long‑term presence. By late 2026, LIV is in bankruptcy court while the PGA Tour and DP World Tour are strengthening the Australian Open. Malinauskas’s line, “it doesn’t cost us anything”, captures the pivot that South Australia is no longer betting its golf future solely on LIV.