LIV Golf is going through one of the most delicate moments since its creation. To the cancellation of the New Orleans tournament just a few weeks ago might now be added another hard blow: the Team Championship, the big team final scheduled for next month at The Cardinal, in Michigan, where the season is wrapped up, would be very close to not being held
This was confirmed to Todays Golfer by the German Martin Kaymer, captain of Cleeks GC and a two-time major winner, after the meeting held on Tuesday between the team captains and the chief executive of LIV Golf, Scott O’Neil, on the occasion of the tournament taking place this week at the JCB Golf & Country Club, in England
The German admitted that the outlook is far from encouraging. “Michigan is highly unlikely,” Kaymer said, explaining that the meeting barely served to address the numerous questions about the circuit’s immediate future. “We expected more information. We received it, but we were looking for decisions or to know what would happen next year. Unfortunately, not even Scott can tell us anything because he doesn’t know either. Everything depends on the investors,” he said
O’Neil has been working for weeks to secure an injection of around $350 million after the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) announced it would stop funding the project at the end of this season. The head of LIV told the captains that there is interest from potential investors, although no agreement has yet been signed
“We’ve all been through this before. If the deal isn’t there, it means nothing,” summed up Kaymer, reflecting the caution with which the players themselves face the situation. The 2014 US Open champion was even more blunt when assessing the chances of the Team Championship taking place in Michigan. “I give it a five per cent chance,” he said, adding that the infrastructure needed to stage the event has not yet been built on the course
Kaymer acknowledged that the cancellation would be a significant sporting blow for the circuit. “We are disappointed. I even heard on Golf Channel that Indianapolis could become a team event instead of Michigan. We don’t know. It would be a shame to lose even more individual tournaments,” he commented
The German insisted that it is hard to make sense of a team competition without the final event being played. “How are you going to crown the best team of the whole season if you don’t play a team tournament? We have to be honest. It’s been a year in which too many things have happened: New Orleans was cancelled and the last event will probably also be cancelled. The important thing is to finish the season and have a plan for 2027,” he added
An imminent decision
According to Kaymer himself, the final decision on the Michigan tournament could be taken next Tuesday. However, the message the captains received during the meeting does not exactly inspire optimism. “From what we saw yesterday, it didn’t look good,” he admitted
The player especially regretted the possible disappearance of the team championship, one of LIV Golf‘s distinctive formats. “It’s a pity for the whole calendar and for the team competition. We were really looking forward to playing that match play among ourselves. It would have been great fun. But if it doesn’t happen, we’ll have to accept reality and focus on 2027, restart the project and try to be more independent next year,” he explained
Meanwhile, LIV‘s management continues to negotiate with potential investors a new structure for the competition, which would involve a reduced calendar and prize funds lower than at present
The situation has become even more complicated after this week’s announcement of the new strategic alliance between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the Asian Tour, an agreement that definitively breaks the relationship the Asian circuit had with LIV even before the Saudi league was born and leaves the project without one of its main sporting partners
Kaymer did not hide the concern among the players. “They are working tirelessly to close a deal. But in the end, if those investors decide to pull out, next year we will not be playing in LIV Golf. If they accept, then we’ll have a chance,” he said
The German also acknowledged the disappointment a negative outcome would represent after the reassurances they had received just a few months ago. “It’s sad because we’ve all invested a lot in this season, and I’m not talking about money. We’ve invested time, emotions, hope and trust in the project. In February we were told it was fully funded until 2031 and two months later everything fell apart. It would be a real shame if it ended like that,” he concluded
