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LIV Golf has cut $30 million of prize money from the conclusion of its 2026 season amid the cancellation of its Michigan finale that was scheduled for next week.
This week’s LIV Golf Indianapolis event—now the season finale—will pay out a $10.1 million purse for its individual competition, which is just over half of the standard $20 million in individual prize money at LIV events. The winner will receive $2.02 million, about half the normal $4 million winner’s check.
The team competition in Indianapolis will now serve as LIV’s season-ending team championship, paying out $30 million in prize money to the league’s 13 franchises. This season, the team competition at standard LIV events paid out $10 million purses, with money mostly going toward team operations, as opposed to directly to players. The now-canceled LIV Golf Michigan team championship event was supposed to pay out $40.1 million and crown a season-long team champion.
In total, the LIV events in Indianapolis and Michigan were supposed to pay out a combined $70.1 million in prize money; the revised Indianapolis tournament is paying out $40.1 million.
The cash reduction means LIV players and teams have lost out on a total of $60.1 million in previously promised prize money this season, including the $30 million purse that would have been paid out at the canceled LIV Golf Louisiana event in June. LIV will conclude its 2026 season paying out a total of $370.1 million in prize money to its players and teams across 12 events.
The Saudi PIF announced in April that it would end its funding of LIV at the end of this season. LIV is in talks with BC Partners Credit about a new funding deal, but nothing has been finalized yet. Two former LIV vendors are suing the league for more than $1 million of missed payments each, and other smaller contractors have told Front Office Sports they’re owed as much as $100,000.
New Look Finale
Players are still set to receive Official World Golf Rankings points at LIV Golf Indianapolis, a factor that some sources have indicated impacted LIV’s end-of-season decision-making. The Michigan team championship, which would have featured match-play and no individual competition, was not slated to award OWGR points, which made conducting that event format less attractive to players, sources told FOS.
The revised team championship format in Indianapolis will simply compile the stroke play scores from all four players on each LIV team—the same format used all season—and the final four-round standings will determine the payouts for the team championship:
- 1st: $8.4 million
- 2nd: $4.8 million
- 3rd: $3.6 million
- 4th: $2.4 million
- 5th: $1.95 million
- 6th: $1.8 million
- 7th: $1.65 million
- 8th: $1.5 million
- 9th: $1.2 million
- 10th: $990,000
- 11th: $780,000
- 12th: $570,000
- 13th: $360,000
The originally planned team championship payout structure ranged from $11.2 million for first place down to $480,000 for 13th.
No Change to Bonus Money
The $10 million in bonus money for LIV’s season-long individual championship points race is set to remain unchanged, according to the league’s updated media guide for Indianapolis.
While Jon Rahm has already clinched first place and its $6 million bonus, the final two slots—which pay $3 million and $1 million, respectively—will be determined this weekend. Bryson DeChambeau is guaranteed at least third place; Joaquin Niemann and Lucas Herbert are in the mix for both second or third; Tyrrell Hatton only has a chance for third; and no other players can place within the top three.
