LIV Golf season finale in doubt after Kaymer comments
Martin Kaymer says LIV Golf’s Team Championship season finale in Michigan is highly unlikely to go ahead, casting fresh doubt on the Saudi-backed league’s calendar. The Cleeks captain expects events in England, New Jersey and Indianapolis to proceed, but told reporters the August team finale looks bleak as LIV seeks hundreds of millions in new investment.
Key Takeaways
- Cleeks captain Martin Kaymer called the Michigan Team Championship "highly unlikely," putting chances around five percent.
- He expects LIV Golf UK, New Jersey and Indianapolis to go ahead; an earlier New Orleans stop was postponed indefinitely.
- CEO Scott O’Neil is hunting more than €300 million after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund said it will end backing at year-end.
- The Asian Tour has exited its LIV pathway deal for a strategic alliance with the PGA and DP World Tours.
- LIV has not commented on Kaymer’s claims; captains hope for a scaled-back reset if fresh investors sign on.
What did Martin Kaymer say about the LIV Golf finale?
Speaking ahead of this week’s LIV Golf UK event in Staffordshire, two-time major winner and Cleeks captain Martin Kaymer said the league’s team finale is on the brink of cancellation.
"I know that Indianapolis (the final individual event) is most likely happening. There was a conversation yesterday: Michigan, highly unlikely. According to yesterday, it didn’t look good," he told reporters, as reported by RTE.
GOLF.com, citing reporting first from Today’s Golfer, said Kaymer put the odds of staging the August team event at the Cardinal at Saint John’s in Plymouth, Mich., at about five percent. The team championship carries a reported $40 million purse.
Why is the LIV Golf team event suddenly at risk?
The league is under financial pressure after the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia announced it would withdraw backing at the end of the year, having spent almost €4 billion since LIV launched in 2021.
Chief executive Scott O’Neil briefed team captains on Tuesday and is leading a search for more than €300 million in new money, with hopes of securing funding by September. Kaymer said captains wanted clearer decisions on next year, but O’Neil "can’t tell us because he doesn’t know" until investors commit.
"They are working their a***s off to get a deal but in the end, if those investors decide to pull out then we don’t play golf next year on LIV Golf," Kaymer said. An earlier New Orleans event was postponed indefinitely, adding to calendar disruption.
What does this mean for players and fans watching LIV Golf?
Kaymer expects the next three stops—England, New Jersey and Indianapolis—to proceed, but questioned how a season-long team winner can be crowned without a team finale. "We need to be honest. The whole season was a bit of a …," he said, urging the circuit to finish 2026 and plan for 2027.
Fellow captains Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter said they had helped connect LIV with potential investors. Jon Rahm said the league was keeping him informed but offered no assurances about his future. On Tuesday, the Asian Tour—once a promotion-and-relegation partner—signed a strategic alliance with the PGA and DP World Tours instead.
For viewers tracking schedule changes and coverage alerts, BlasterPost’s Streaming & TV Alerts hub will follow how any finale cancellation reshapes the LIV Golf calendar.