Australian LIV Players Lament Possibility of League Folding
LIV New York is being played this week at Trump Bedminster.
Australian LIV Golf players Cam Smith and his teammates are cautiously hopeful that the league's future will become clear soon, but they admit it would be a "shame" if the team folds. At the pre-tournament press conference for LIV Golf New York, the second U.S. event of the year, Smith, captain of the Ripper GC team, admitted he didn't understand the future of LIV Golf.
The league's $40 million team championship in Michigan is expected to be canceled, leaving only two events for the 2026 season: this week's tournament and Indianapolis, scheduled for August 20-23. The uncertainty has led to plans for the players to continue playing on other tours if LIV Golf ends. Smith and his teammates expressed pride in the grassroots work they've done for junior golf in Australia, which they fear could disappear if the league folds.
Marc Leishman, a 2024 team championship winner, praised LIV's emphasis on team golf and noted that the unique pressure of team play is special. No tournament infrastructure has been built for LIV Golf Michigan, which is scheduled to host the league's final event of the year from August 27-30. Leishman expressed disappointment if the event were to be canceled, but emphasized that they are preparing as if it will happen.
Smith, Leishman, and their teammates said they have not yet made any significant plans to play on another tour if LIV Golf ceases operations.
Written by urgent.news from Front Office Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
