LIV Golf started in 2021 and has been challenging the PGA Tour ever since. While it still draws fewer fans overall, its crowds are getting bigger and louder. This weekend in Indianapolis, the excitement is clear, with record turnouts and local businesses seeing a big boost.
In 2024, the league broke attendance records in Australia with over 94,000 fans in Adelaide. Riding that momentum into 2025, U.S. events like Chicago drew nearly 40,000, while the UK stop in July attracted 43,000. Indianapolis was expected to host LIV’s most-attended U.S. event yet. The numbers confirm that. LIV’s surge in Indianapolis was highlighted by reporter Josh Carpenter on X, who noted that grounds passes for Friday and Saturday had completely sold out. Local TV also projected around 50,000 fans over the three-day event, cementing LIV’s reputation for drawing massive in-person crowds.
. @livgolf_league says it sold out of grounds passes for Friday and Saturday in Indianapolis. Local TV reports anticipated crowds of around 50,000 for the three days.
LIV was expecting close to 40K in Chicago last week and announced 43K for its UK event in July pic.twitter.com/3VVUjMgMXU
— Josh Carpenter (@JoshACarpenter) August 15, 2025
This is not just a massive milestone for LIV, but also a driving force of the local economy. Ahead of the Indianapolis event, local businesses anticipated the influx of fans LIV attracts. Taylor Wentworth, general manager at Field Brewing in Westfield, said, “Being in the restaurant industry, too, we rely on these events.” Wentworth expected crowds to stop by for dinner and drinks after each day’s tournament play. Wentworth already has several larger parties on the reservation list.
Adam Hoffman, owner of Big Hoffa’s Smokehouse BBQ, carried equal thrill about LIV’s arrival. “That’s what we rely on,” Hoffman said, noting that the BBQ joint can serve up to 3,000 people during large events at Grand Park. He also praised the City of Westfield for effectively marketing the area to attract events like LIV Golf. With LIV’s massive crowds in Indianapolis, the previously projected $21–29 million economic impact for Westfield is already coming to life.
The success in Westfield reflects a broader trend for LIV Golf this week in Indianapolis. Record ticket sales have brought tens of thousands of fans to the course and the local businesses. Friday alone saw 16,430 tickets scanned, even with construction along the main road. And that is just day one of the three-day event. No doubt, LIV is in for a treat on the Sunday round. Building on this momentum, the league has already confirmed Indianapolis will return to Westfield next year.
LIV Golf continues to challenge the PGA Tour with upward crowd trends
LIV Golf’s rise in 2025 is clear from record crowds. Chicago saw a 25% jump in single-day attendance over last year, while Indianapolis drew nearly 50,000 fans, its biggest U.S. turnout yet. Adelaide still holds LIV’s overall attendance record.
The PGA Tour, meanwhile, has faced challenges keeping fans engaged. Rory McIlroy skipped the 2025 FedEx Cup opener, raising concerns among officials like policy director Peter Malnati. Still, the Tour remains far bigger, with the BMW Championship at Caves Valley drawing 100,000 to 125,000 fans.
While PGA Tour crowds are much larger, LIV’s steady growth signals change. Its fan-friendly formats and entertainment appeal are helping it emerge as a real challenger to the traditional tour.
On TV, though, the PGA Tour is still dominant. Justin Rose’s playoff win at the FedEx St. Jude averaged 3.6 million viewers on NBC, the event’s biggest audience in years. By contrast, LIV Chicago drew only 334,000 on Fox, underscoring the wide gap in broadcast reach.
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