LIV Golf canceled its team championship, scheduled for Aug. 27-30 at The Cardinal in Plymouth, Michigan, after weeks of tour officials insisting the event would go ahead as scheduled. LIV’s announcement on Monday made official what had become increasingly obvious: that the championship, originally conceived as the climax of the breakaway tour’s season and its team-centric model, was not going to happen, even if LIV officials had repeatedly denied reports to the contrary and kept the event on the public calendar. Cardinal has shown no signs of construction in recent weeks, including the grandstands and hospitality areas that dominate every professional golf tournament. LIV only stopped selling tickets last week, days after Fox Sports, LIV’s US broadcast partner, removed the event from its television listings. At least three LIV players, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin and Adrian Meronk, even went so far as to make alternative plans, putting themselves on the entry list for the DP World Tour British Masters, which takes place the same week. This is the second event to be canceled following the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) decision in April to withdraw future funding for the upstart league. One of the first moves was to “postpone” the event scheduled for New Orleans in June, citing the summer heat in Louisiana and the attention that would otherwise be on the World Cup. Both were known issues long before the event was scheduled. On Monday, LIV announced that the team’s champion will be determined during this week’s event in Indianapolis. “By concluding the season now, we can dedicate all of our resources to what comes next and maintain the operational rigor this transition demands,” LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil said in a statement. LIV also announced that its planned post-round concerts for Indianapolis, featuring country singer Thomas Rhett and DJ Disco Lines, have been cancelled, citing “unavoidable changes to the entertainment schedule.” O’Neil has been pitching a “LIV 2.0” to private investors, hoping to keep the league afloat. with a new business model: fewer events and smaller prize pools, with players receiving a majority stake in the hopes of continuing to play on the rebel circuit. But LIV’s plans have absorbed one direct hit after another in recent weeks. The Asian Tour announced last month that it will partner with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour in the future. LIV had previously worked with the Asian Tour to provide playing opportunities for its golfers, as well as meet the requirements to receive Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. And the DP World Tour has notified players to expect financial penalties if they try to play on both tours in 2027, citing its conflicting events rule. directors. In response, LIV hired an independent board, with two new members, Gene Davis and Jon Zinman. Davis is the CEO of a consulting firm that specializes in change management, with past and current clients including Spirit Airlines and Weight Watchers. There are also ongoing financial liabilities. Mobii, which produced LIV’s “Any Shot, Any Time” show on its broadcasts, is suing the golf circuit for $1.13 million for unpaid invoices and breach of contract. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Miami last month, alleges that LIV paid all of its bills in 2025 but stopped making payments this year. LIV filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) on July 8 in New York, a necessary legal step for potential layoffs. The Athletic’s Brendan Quinn and Brody Miller contributed to this report.
