LIV Golf, after weeks of speculation around the status of its season-ending championship, finally publicly canceled its last event of the year, making this week’s stop in Indianapolis the de facto finale.
For months it has been believed that LIV Golf Michigan wouldn’t take place. Buildout never started at the host course, while Martin Kaymer openly speculated it likely wouldn’t happen. Last week players were informed by LIV that the championship was off the schedule, and several LIV players signed up for a coinciding event on the DP World Tour. However, LIV had not made any announcement and tickets were still seemingly available on LIV’s website.
But in a Monday release, the league confirmed that LIV Golf Indianapolis would now serve as the end tournament for 2026. Additionally, citing “unavoidable changes in the entertainment program,” LIV’s concert series set for Indianapolis has been canceled. LIV said those who purchased tickets for Michigan will receive a refund.
With Michigan out, “the four-day stroke play event will take place Aug. 20-23, at The Club at Chatham Hills where 57 players will contend for the Indianapolis individual title and final spots in the league’s individual season-long standings,” LIV said in a statement. “The team competition will count the scores of all four players on each team every day, culminating with one of the 13 teams being crowned the 2026 LIV Golf team champion.” This is the second LIV event canceled this year following Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund pulling its financial backing from its soft power exercise, as the league said it was postponing its New Orleans tournament due to summer heat and the World Cup.RELATED: LIV Golf is dying. The damage is permanentEarlier this month LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil announced LIV had secured a ‘lead investor’ to keep the league going into the future now that PIF has stopped bankrolling the league after pumping in at least $6 billion into the enterprise, although LIV did not disclose the entity’s name. There are questions about whether the backing is actually structured as a loan, whether it’s dependent on other investors joining, and whether it’s contingent on a certain number of players remaining with the league.
LIV has already signaled it may file for bankruptcy, a number of LIV contractors have complained they haven’t been paid for services, and LIV is facing a lawsuit from the Premier Golf League where the PGL alleges LIV of breach of confidence and unlawful means conspiracy. Golf Digest reported earlier this year that a number of agents for LIV players have reached out to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour regarding avenues to return, and if LIV files for bankruptcy those still under contract will be freed from existing deals.
Among the most notable of those names is Jon Rahm, as the Telegraph reported last week that LIV executives are resigned to Rahm not returning to LIV in whatever new iteration it may take. Bryson DeChambeau is also a free agent, although with the PGA Tour signaling it will not extend the same exemption to DeChambeau that Brooks Koepka received (under the assertion that the exemption was already given to DeChambeau earlier this year) it’s likely DeChambeau attempts to stay with LIV if it continues.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com