Cameron Smith has voiced his belief that the LIV Golf season‑ending Team Championship will go ahead as scheduled, despite lingering doubts surrounding the event. The tournament, slated for August 27‑30 in Michigan, has been the subject of speculation ever since the Saudi‑backed Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced in April that it would cease its financial support for the breakaway circuit. In the meantime, the league has been scrambling to locate new investors to keep the season on track.
Smith’s optimism was evident during a recent player gathering led by Bryson DeChambeau, where the athletes discussed the league’s uncertain future. While the overall outlook remains hazy, Smith said the team has been instructed to prepare as though the championship will take place, and he is hopeful that the event will unfold as planned. "We have been told to prepare as though it's going ahead, so we are expecting it to happen," Smith told reporters. "I'm really unsure, but we had a great year there last year in Detroit, and we're hoping we get back there.
It is a great golf course, a great venue, and the crowds really turned up as well. I would be disappointed if it wasn't." The backdrop to this optimism is a series of setbacks that have rocked LIV Golf since its launch in 2021. The league entered the professional golf scene as a direct challenger to the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, offering large purses and a team‑based format that attracted several high‑profile players.
However, the departure of PIF funding has left the organization scrambling for financial stability. In recent weeks, LIV Golf officials have hinted at securing a "new lead investor," but details remain scarce.
Adding to the uncertainty, former major champion Martin Kaymer publicly expressed skepticism about the championship’s viability, assigning the event only a five‑percent chance of occurring. His comments underscored the anxiety among players, many of whom have yet to secure alternative tour contracts. Despite the turbulence, Smith emphasized that his focus remains on keeping the LIV team intact rather than exploring other tours.
"I am a positive guy, so I've made no effort to go seek anything else," he said. "I don't really understand what is going to happen.
I think it's all up in the air. I know that the LIV team is working hard to get us to play next year and working hard for us.
They do a lot of hard work behind the scenes. I want it to work, to be honest.
It is great fun out here. The team that we've got, I feel like we make each other better, better people and better golfers as well. I would hate to see it go away." Smith did concede that a return to the PGA Tour might become inevitable if LIV Golf cannot secure its future. "If it was the only option, I think that's where everyone would want to be for sure, 100 percent," he added, noting that such a move would represent a return to the status quo for many players.
Following Smith’s remarks, a player meeting convened under DeChambeau’s leadership to hash out the league’s next steps. According to veteran Richard Bland, DeChambeau outlined a timeline suggesting that the next two to three weeks would be crucial for clarifying the situation.
"Bryson just ran through what he knows, and obviously, we're trying to do it as a group, but we're individuals as well, so I think the next two to three weeks is going to be where it's at," Bland told The Athletic. "We're in this together; we're fully backing Scott (O'Neil). I think probably in the next two to three weeks we'll have a bigger picture." Bland also stressed that the players are waiting for final approvals before any definitive plans can be announced.
"We're just in that kind of stage at the minute that we're positive with what's going on, but we just need everything to be fully signed off so you can go forward," he said. When pressed about the likelihood of the Team Championship proceeding, Bland replied, "I don't know.
We have just got to wait and see on that." Lee Westwood, another prominent LIV golfer, was more reticent about commenting on the meeting, stating, "No, I'm not talking about it. Blandy shouldn't be either," indicating the sensitivity of the discussions.
The broader golf community continues to watch closely. Recent headlines have highlighted Rory McIlroy’s return to the PGA Tour for the opening FedExCup Playoffs event, as well as other LIV players like Anna Huang and Charley Hull competing in the PIF London Championship. These developments illustrate the fluid nature of player affiliations during this period of upheaval.
In summary, while the future of LIV Golf remains uncertain, Cameron Smith and many of his teammates are preparing as though the season‑ending Team Championship will happen in Michigan. The next few weeks will be decisive, as the league seeks new investment and attempts to secure the necessary approvals to hold the event. Until then, players are balancing optimism with realism, hoping that the final tournament can deliver the excitement and competition that fans have come to expect from this controversial but high‑profile circuit.