LIV Golf has canceled its $40 million Team Championship, originally scheduled for late August in Michigan, marking the second tournament cancellation for the league this year. An official announcement is expected Wednesday, according to the X account @flushingitgolf.
The event, set to take place at The Cardinal at Saint John’s in Plymouth, Michigan, from Aug. 27-30, follows the cancellation of a June event in New Orleans. The repeated cancellations underscore the financial challenges facing the upstart golf league.
Members of LIV Golf’s Cleeks GC, including captain Martin Kaymer, had expressed doubts about the event proceeding. Kaymer told Today’s Golfer last week that the chances of the tournament happening were "highly unlikely," estimating them at "five percent."
Reports indicate that contractors involved with the Michigan event have had their travel and accommodations canceled, with outstanding payments being owed. There were also discussions about potentially relocating the team event to Indianapolis, though Kaymer noted this would mean further reductions in individual tournaments.
The LIV Golf Team Championship is one of the league's premier events, concluding the season and featuring a significant prize purse. For the upcoming season, the total prize money was reduced to $40 million, down from $50 million last year, with the winners' share decreasing from $14 million to $11.2 million.
These financial pressures stem partly from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund's decision in April to withdraw its funding at the end of the current season. LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil could not definitively guarantee in June that the league would be able to host its final four events of the season, leading to speculation that this championship would be axed.
LIV Golf has been seeking approximately $350 million to sustain its operations. The only remaining event on the LIV Golf schedule is the New York tournament, slated for Aug. 6-9 at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster.