The Korea Open, a historic event on the Asian Tour first held in 1958, faces a reduced prize fund after financial turmoil linked to LIV Golf. Multiple reports say the tournament had been set to benefit from a LIV Golf cash injection that would have increased the total prize money to about $1.5 million (from roughly $1 million, or KRW 1.4 billion), setting a record for the competition. Instead, the available prize money is being cut, leaving the tournament with a lower total purse than previously expected.
The reporting describes the change as part of wider uncertainty around LIV Golf’s finances and its impact on events that depend on that funding. Players and fans are said to be questioning whether future iterations of the Korea Open—and other associated commitments across the Asian Tour—will be able to maintain previous funding levels. The reports do not detail new compensation plans or an alternative funding source. Overall, they attribute the prize reduction to the instability of LIV Golf’s financial situation and its knock-on effect on the event’s economics.
