LIV Golf in Crisis: Kaymer Expects the Team Championship to Be Canceled

The timing could hardly have been more dramatic: Just as the LIV Golf UK tournament opens its doors at the JCB Golf & Country Club in England, massive question marks loom over the rest of the season. Martin Kaymer, former world No. 1 and captain of Team Cleeks GC, made the situation crystal clear in an interview with Today’s Golfer on Wednesday: The Team Championship scheduled for late August at The Cardinal course in Michigan will almost certainly not take place.

“Michigan, highly unlikely. So basically, what we already knew,” Kaymer told the British magazine. The 41-year-old German estimated the chances of the tournament taking place at just five percent. Among other reasons, he cited the fact that the infrastructure at the venue has not yet been set up.

Follow the live leaderboard for the LIV Golf UK event here.

What is LIV Golf—and why is the Tour in crisis?

LIV Golf is a professional golf Tour founded in 2022 and financed by Saudi Arabia that has lured many high-profile players away from the established PGA Tour and the DP World Tour with generous prize money and a new team format. From the very beginning, the driving force behind the project was the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.

But on April 30, 2026, came the bombshell: The PIF announced that it would cease its financial support after the end of the current season. According to media reports, the fund had invested nearly six billion U.S. dollars in the project since the Tour’s inception. For a league that never stood on its own two feet, this marks an existential turning point.

What Kaymer finds particularly bitter is that in February 2026, officials had still assured the players that the Tour was fully funded through 2031. “We were told in February that we were fully funded through 2031, and two months later, everything is falling apart. That would simply be a shame,” said Kaymer.

A Season Calendar That’s Getting Shorter and Shorter

Originally, four tournaments were scheduled to conclude the 2026 season. But the problems are piling up: The event in New Orleans, scheduled for June, was canceled at the last minute—officially due to extreme heat and poor course conditions. Now, with the Team Championship in Michigan, the season finale is also in jeopardy. The $40 million tournament is considered the sporting centerpiece of the LIV format.

The current status of the remaining dates:

Kaymer also mentioned considering moving the team event to Indianapolis as an alternative. It’s an idea he himself views with mixed feelings: “How is a team supposed to win the whole season if there’s no team event? The whole season was kind of… so much has happened. New Orleans was canceled. Most likely the last event, too. It’s important to finish the season—and hopefully we’ll have a plan for 2027.”

Read more here about the status of LIV Golf’s search for investors.

Information, but No Decisions

Kaymer attended a captains’ meeting on Tuesday, where LIV CEO Scott O’Neil explained the situation. The result: lots of talk, few concrete commitments. “We were hoping for more information. We did receive information, but we were actually waiting for decisions. And unfortunately, even Scott can’t tell us that because he doesn’t know himself,” reported the two-time major champion.

O’Neil is currently trying to raise around $350 million from new investors to ensure the tour’s operations in 2027. A financing commitment is expected by September 2026. Overall, Kaymer describes the mood as cautiously optimistic: “They’re working hard to secure a deal. But if the deal isn’t signed, none of this means anything.”

A decision on the Michigan event is expected soon—no later than the penultimate stop of the season in Bedminster in two weeks.

Bad news is piling up

The looming cancellation of the season finale isn’t the only headwind facing the Tour. Just on Tuesday, the Asian Tour announced it was ending its partnership with LIV Golf and instead forming a strategic alliance with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour —a major blow to LIV, which had used the Asian Tour as a central element of its promotion and relegation system as well as a source of world ranking points. We examined this development in detail—and its implications for global professional golf— in our article yesterday on the three-tour alliance.

In addition, legal problems are mounting: A Canadian technology company is suing the Tour for over one million U.S. dollars over unpaid bills. Industry observers report that LIV has already hired restructuring experts and consultants specializing in bankruptcy proceedings.

A look at other LIV stars also paints a bleak picture. Top star Jon Rahm, who disappointed with a tie for 46th at the British Open at Royal Birkdale, remained tight-lipped when asked about his future with LIV: He said he was aware of the situation but could not comment publicly. Rahm has apparently already secured himself with an agreement with the DP World Tour.

Between Disappointment and a Desire for a Fresh Start

Despite everything, Kaymer hasn’t given up on the Tour yet. He’s hoping for a fresh start in 2027—with a leaner model, more independence, and a clean slate. “It’s a little sad. We’ve all invested in this year—not financially, but with time, emotions, hopes, and our vision,” he said. And then, looking ahead: “We have to hit the reset button and try to be more independent next year.”

Whether there will be a next year for LIV Golf will be decided in the coming weeks. The clock is ticking.