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Imago

The last time LIV Golf came to Bedminster, back in August 2023, Cameron Smith closed it out with a seven-shot win, still a LIV Golf record margin, while his Ripper GC teammates rode the same wave to the team title, finishing 20-under to win by 11 strokes of their own. Individual and team trophies, both in the same week. Now, after a two-year absence, LIV Golf returns to Trump National Golf Club for its 11th stop of the season. But the bigger question hanging over the week has nothing to do with who wins.

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With only a handful of events remaining, uncertainty continues to surround LIV’s scheduled $40 million Team Championship in Michigan. Front Office Sports has reported that the finale is expected to be canceled as the league explores new investment amid changes to its funding structure. If that proves to be the case, the final regular-season events at Bedminster, Indianapolis and Chicago could end up carrying even greater significance than originally planned.

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Still, there’s plenty riding on the golf itself this week. Jon Rahm still holds the individual points lead, even after a rare off week that saw him finish T23 in the U.K. Bryson DeChambeau, meanwhile, has been closing the gap. Ripper GC arrives in good form too, coming off Lucas Herbert’s tournament-record 30-under win last week.

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Smith is back at the same course this week, chasing a repeat. The course itself has changed since then, though. The Tom Fazio layout has added more than 125 yards, and it now plays 7,651 yards, second-longest on this year’s schedule. Thunderstorms are also in the forecast throughout the week.

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Martin Kaymer Isn’t Pretending Everything Is Fine

Martin Kaymer has already begun making peace with that possibility. Speaking at LIV Golf UK, the Cleeks GC captain revealed he was told Indianapolis is “most likely happening,” but the Michigan Team Championship is “highly unlikely.” With infrastructure for the event yet to be built, Kaymer estimated its chances of going ahead at just “five percent.” He admitted losing the season finale would be a blow, particularly because the team match-play format is meant to decide the league’s ultimate champion.

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Still, the two-time major winner isn’t losing sleep over what he can’t control. If Michigan gets scrapped, Kaymer thinks LIV should just finish out the season and start planning for 2027. “Hit the reset button,” as he put it.

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He admitted the back-and-forth has been tough. Players were told earlier this year the league was funded through 2031, only for that to change months later. For now, his take is simple: play what’s left, hope the investment comes through, and let the boardroom sort out the rest.

For now, Michigan’s fate rests with Scott O’Neil and whether he can line up new investment before the season ends. Kaymer says the players themselves don’t really know how that’s going. So until there’s an answer, Bedminster, Indianapolis and Chicago matter more than they normally would. They might be all the finale LIV Golf gets this year.

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Meenakshi Karn

1,407 Articles

Meenakshi Karn is a Senior Writer at EssentiallySports, contributing to ES Golf’s trend-driven and player-focused coverage. A key figure at the ES Majors NewsCenter, she thrives on Moving Day—energizing the newsroom with timely reporting that captures leaderboard shifts. She also collaborated across sports during ES’ 24/7 Paris Olympics coverage. Meenakshi’s standout year on the golf desk earned her a place in the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, where she continues to sharpen her editorial voice and expand her footprint in digital golf media.

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Pulkit Prabhav

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