The LIV Golf Team Championship, carrying a $40 million purse and scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 27, through Sunday, Aug. 30, at The Cardinal at Saint John's Resort in Plymouth Township, appears to be canceled, with no official announcement, no infrastructure at the course and tickets still listed for sale online.
TNT Sports broadcaster Craig Doyle signaled as much on the air Sunday, Aug. 9, during the final round of LIV Golf's Bedminster event. "That is going to be, at this stage, I think we can call it, is going to be the final event in LIV Golf 2026," Doyle said, referring to the Indianapolis tournament set for Aug. 20-23 at The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Indiana.
As we reported July 30, the post-Bedminster window was expected to produce a final decision on the Plymouth Township event. That deadline has passed with silence from LIV Golf, Saint John's Resort and event management partner Outlyr, all of which have declined media requests for comment.
FOX Sports has already dropped the Michigan event from its 2026 LIV Golf broadcast schedule, ending its listings with Indianapolis.
No signs of life at The Cardinal
Two weeks before the tournament's scheduled start, there is no infrastructure buildout at The Cardinal. No grandstands. No hospitality suites. No player walking bridge across the signature pond. Yet LIV Golf's website still advertises ticket packages ranging from $26 for a Thursday grounds pass to $124 for a four-day pass.
Mark Newman, a Plymouth Township resident who volunteered at last year's event and had registered again for 2026, told WXYZ on Monday, Aug. 10, that the silence has been frustrating. "The organization themselves are withholding any information regarding whether this event is going to move forward or not. We are feeling very uninformed and left in the dark by everything," Newman said.
Ron Henry, who attended the 2025 event with his wife and planned to buy tickets again, said he hopes the tournament still happens but noted Michigan is losing two major golf events in one year. The PGA Tour's Rocket Classic played its final round at Detroit Golf Club on Aug. 2.
Downtown impact likely modest
Plymouth Downtown Development Authority Director Sam Plymale told WXYZ on Monday, Aug. 10, that last year's tournament produced only a 3 to 4 percent increase in visitors to the downtown area. He said a cancellation would not devastate local businesses.
The 2025 LIV Golf Team Championship drew nearly 40,000 fans over three days, according to Plymouth Township Police Chief James Knittel's debrief at the township's Aug. 26, 2025, Board of Trustees meeting. That event carried a $50 million purse, with Jon Rahm's Legion XIII splitting the $14 million first prize after a sudden-death playoff against Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers GC.
Why it fell apart
The signs were there. LIV team captain Martin Kaymer said publicly in late July that the Michigan tournament was highly unlikely to happen, after a meeting with LIV CEO Scott O'Neil and other team captains.
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund announced in April it would no longer fund LIV Golf beyond the 2026 season. O'Neil announced a new lead investor the week before Bedminster, but the identity was not disclosed and the deal was not final as of Aug. 9. LIV had already canceled a tournament in New Orleans earlier this season.
According to The Detroit News, Saint John's Resort paid a reported $3 million hosting fee for the 2025 event, with the 2026 price increasing significantly. The resort has not commented on whether it will seek a refund.
LIV Golf has issued no official cancellation statement, and ticket holders have received no guidance on refunds as of Tuesday, Aug. 11.
