‘Have to answer’: Adelaide host takes LIV to court as popular event’s uncertain future turns ugly

Adelaide's Kooyonga Golf Club is demanding answers on LIV Golf's future, filing a motion in the US bankruptcy court to force the breakaway league to declare by November 6 whether the 2027 LIV Adelaide event will go ahead.

Kooyonga is set to stage the popular tournament for the first time from March 18-21 next year after four years at fellow Adelaide club The Grange.

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There is major doubt about LIV's future, however, after the organisation recently filed for bankruptcy in the US.

Following Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund withdrawing their financial backing this year, LIV chief executive has chased investors to fund 'LIV 2.0' - new era for the league with vastly reduced prize purses.

Leading LIV stars Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith are uncommitted going forward with the Australian telling the Sydney Morning Herald last week he "needs a few more answers" before making his decision.

Kooyonga and the South Australian government are chasing the same thing.

The club is set to only host LIV Adelaide once before the event moves to the redeveloped North Adelaide Golf Course in 2028.

LIV has a deal in place to play in an event in Adelaide every year until 2031, but concerns have been raised about next year's tournament possibly not going ahead.

As a result, 10 News Adelaide and The Adelaide Advertiser reported excerpts from a letter Kooyonga sent to its members earlier this week where the club said it had requested to the court that LIV covers the projected costs the club faces to avoid being left in the lurch.

Kooyonga also requested that the matter be heard on October 7 rather than waiting until November.

"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 support for the event hasn't changed. We want to see the event go ahead at Kooyonga," it also said.

South Australian Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis was asked about the situation on ABC Adelaide.

"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, 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 in the end, this is a matter for LIV, and LIV have to answer these questions to Kooyonga."

Asked if he believes March's LIV Adelaide event will go ahead, Koutsantonis replied: "I hope so, but it's looking unlikely."