The next edition of LIV Golf Indianapolis could be the very last.

Why it matters: The challenger golf brand's Westfield debut last summer was a big win for local tourism, setting attendance records for the league.

• But the loss of funding and a possible bankruptcy filing could result in its swift removal from Central Indiana's booming sports landscape.

Driving the news: Axios reported this week that the league is seeking to raise up to $250 million from new investors after losing the support of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

• A Bloomberg News report published Tuesday adds that the organization has begun planning to file for bankruptcy in the U.S. if it can't raise new funds by the end of the 2026 season, which includes LIV's return to The Club at Chatham Hills on August 20-23.

What they're saying: In a statement provided to Axios Indianapolis yesterday, a LIV Golf spokesperson said the league is "focused on securing a transaction that positions the organization for the long-term," adding that the 2026 schedule remains unchanged.

Flashback: The inaugural LIV Golf Indianapolis was hailed as a major success.

• It set a U.S. attendance record for LIV with more than 60,000 fans.
• City officials said 8,000 additional visitors were identified in neighborhoods near Chatham Hills during the event, compared to a typical weekend baseline of 600–700.
• The Hamilton County Sports Authority estimates that $23.6 million in direct local economic activity was generated by the event.

Plus: Last summer's tournament played a major role in the launch of the Butler Institute for Sports & Entertainment by giving a crew of student Bulldogs in the program the opportunity to work the event.

What's next

Kate Shoup knows a little about love in the IndyCar garages.

Why it matters: The Indianapolis author met her husband, an engineer for the Arrow McLaren team, when she moved in next door to him. Call it luck or happenstance or fate — it's nearly the stuff of romance novels.

• So is their life together, traveling the country on the IndyCar racing circuit.
• It served as the inspiration for Shoup's first romance novel.

Driving the news: "Overtaken" tells the story of Cam Wexford, a race car mechanic with her own dashed racing dreams who falls for the wrong guy — a Formula 1 driver (and her brother's bitterest rival) who comes to Indianapolis to chase glory in the Greatest Spectacle of Racing.

What she's saying: "Part of my objective in writing it was to see if I could," Shoup told Axios, "but also I really love this sport. I felt like this was a way that I could contribute to its growth."

State of play: Shoup grew up in Indy and remembers riding her bike through the neighborhood during Memorial Day weekend, hearing the race on everyone's radio.

• She went to her first 500 with her dad and, while attending college in Colorado, may or may not have waited to break up with a boyfriend until after the 500 because he had a TV.

Marrying Olivier Boisson, though, turned Shoup from a fan to a bona fide insider.

The intrigue: All of that lends "Overtaken" a level of authenticity and accuracy that fans may not expect in a romance novel.

• "It was just super, super important to me to get it right," she said.
• Not only for her friends in the garages and racing fans, Shoup said, but "because I want people who read it to actually learn something about the series."

Go deeper

💰 The 39th Mecum Indianapolis auction set a record with total sales of more than $193 million, smashing the event's previous record of $124 million.

• This year's top ride was a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder that sold for $18,150,000. (Via press release)

🐘 Max Engling, an aide to Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), has entered the Indiana Secretary of State race as another Republican challenger to incumbent Diego Morales. (IndyStar)

🍚 The China King restaurant downtown will end its 34-year run on North Delaware Street at the end of next month. (IBJ)

⚖️ Westfield resident and competitive eating champ Joey Chestnut pleaded guilty to battery and was sentenced to 180 days of probation in connection to a March altercation at Joe's Grille on Spring Mill Road. (FOX59)

🌭 Actor Andy Richter has been named 'Commander in Beef' for the second running of the Oscar Mayer Wienie 500 at IMS. (WTHR)

Meet Alicia Mckoy, an Indy-based entrepreneur using cutting-edge tech to help Hoosiers cut stress.

The inspo: Mckoy is the founder and CEO of Peak Mind, a technology startup that uses AI, biometrics and immersive tools like VR to help users understand and manage stress in real time.

• The company's first product was an app focused on workplace well-being that launched during the pandemic.

Zoom in: After a 20-year career in interior design, Mckoy says she made the pivot to tech in 2019 after coming to the realization that beautifying a space could not alter a person's experience if they're not in a healthy mental state.

The latest: Mckoy was among those honored during last month's annual TechPoint Mira Awards.

• She was presented with the Resilience Award for her "extraordinary courage in the face of relentless cyber harassment, identity theft and personal attacks that threatened both her wellbeing and her startup's survival," according to a statement from TechPoint.

What she's saying

Everyone knows that Memorial Day Weekend in Indianapolis is synonymous with speed.

Yes, but: If you're looking for a more laid back way to spend the holiday weekend, Eagle Creek has the perfect tea party for you.

Driving the news: Local wildlife rescue and rehabilitation nonprofit Re-Wilding Indiana is hosting its Turtle Tea Party to give Hoosier families a chance to get up close and personal with our state's turtle species.

• The party allows attendees to take photos with turtles, make crafts and participate in family-friendly activities over tea and light snacks.
• It ends with a live turtle release back into the wild.

If you go: 11am-1pm Sunday at Eagle's Hideaway, located outside the main gates on the west side of Eagle Creek Park.

• Tickets start at $15 for adults and $10 for kids 5-12.

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