LIV Golf is adamant about staying in the game after 2026, and for that, the league recently shared a massive win it had this year. LIV released some interesting and hard-hitting numbers from one of its most successful events, the Adelaide one. Perhaps it’s a direct message to anyone still on the fence about investing.

According to the reports shared by LIV Golf, the tournament generated $118.6 million USD in total economic impact for the Australian economy. Out of the total sum, $69.8 million USD is directly going to the South Australian economy. This year, there was a 36% increase in attendance, cementing it as the largest golf event in Australia. A total of 115,000 spectators came to the Grange Orange Club from Feb 12 to 15. This was a 12% increase from 2025, when 102,483 attendees came, and a significant rise from the 2024 event, which saw 94,327 attendees.

The tournament also had a significant impact on the travel industry, noting that 43% of the fans traveled from outside South Australia, staying an average of 3.71 nights. This proves that LIV Golf has a huge and recurring fan base in Australia. Over the span of four years, LIV Golf has delivered $314.6 million AUD in total economic contribution to South Australia.

There’s a reason LIV Golf highlights this: the event remains a huge success story, drawing record crowds year after year since 2023. LIV Adelaide also runs on a government-backed deal through 2031, making it LIV’s clearest validation of its model.

“LIV Golf Adelaide continues to set a new standard for what a golf tournament can bring to a city,” said Ross Hallett, EVP, Head of Events for LIV Golf. “The passion of the fans in South Australia is unmatched, and we’re incredibly proud to see growing interest and support for LIV Golf as well as Ripper GC.”

“The event’s success has translated into a substantial and lasting positive impact for the region and is a testament to the impact we want to have with our partners in host communities across the globe. We’re grateful to SATC and the Premier for their continued support as we continue to set new benchmarks for the golf industry.”

Ripper GC is LIV Golf Adelaide’s home team. It is the all-Australian squad consisting of Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman, and Elvis Smylie. They won the team title this year. In 2024, LIV Golf and Ripper GC formed a partnership with Golf Australia to launch MyGolf.

It is the national grassroots program for young people who are between the ages of 5 and 12; it welcomes “Little Rippers” and fosters the next generation of golfers in Australia. It reached a maximum of 17,000 golfers back then, and in 2026, it is expected to reach 40,000 junior golfers.

Fostering young careers is not a new thing for LIV Golf. Ahead of LIV Golf Andalucia, held at Real Club Valderrama in Spain, LIV Golf partnered with the Valderrama Foundation and Fireballs GC to deliver a series of impactful community events.

On Tuesday afternoon, there was a special golf clinic for six local youth receiving International School golf scholarships. Max Rottluff, Sergio Garcia, and Jon Rahm gave young golfers practical golf tips and guidance.

Fireballs GC launched “From Tee to Sea,” an initiative to protect the ocean on World Ocean Day. Golfers like Sergio Garcia joined 100 community members for a beach cleanup that removed 2,200 liters of waste.

On June 3rd, under LIV Golf’s College, Career & Beyond (CC&B) program, 15 local youth received a behind-the-scenes tour of tournament operations and a sports industry sustainability session.

These reports come at a critical time. We all know LIV Golf has been fighting for its basic survival ever since PIF confirmed pulling the funds. LIV Golf has been looking for options in every direction. They have appointed new board members, hired investment bankers, pitched a restructured business model, and even floated the idea of players buying equity stakes in the league.

PIF is covering only a fraction of what LIV Golf needs

According to the Financial Times, LIV Golf needs $600 million to fund the rest of its 2026 season. PIF has delivered just short of $200 million since April. If we bifurcate it, that comes to $66 million in early May and $130 million in early June. And that leaves the league with a significant gap.

Only four events now remain on the schedule. The New Orleans event, originally planned for late June, was postponed last month with no rescheduled date. When O’Neil was asked on CNBC if he could guarantee the remaining four events would be played, he didn’t agree.

“What I can guarantee is a heck of a return if you come invest in this business,” O’Neil said.

With that, O’Neil is actively pitching. He has already met prospective investors and has meetings lined up. The target is $250 million to $350 million from outside investors, potentially spread across multiple smaller commitments of around $50 million each. Scott O’Neil has confirmed there has been “positive feedback” on the possibility of investing.

LIV Golf was looking to expand with the Australian Open as part of a broader strategy, but none of that came to fruition. Instead, this week, the Australian Open announced a new three-year partnership covering 2027 through 2029 with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. This will be the first time the PGA Tour has ever officially partnered with Golf Australia.

The PGA Tour will also support the event financially, and the prize money is set to receive a significant boost from 2027 onwards. With that, LIV’s story is yet to be complete, as it remains under development.