Aaron Doster-Imagn Images / Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
LIV Golf will hold its final event in Indianapolis.
The future of LIV Golf remains unclear following the abrupt cancellation of its final event in Michigan. Reports of unpaid bills and missed player payments have surfaced in the hours to follow.
One former employee suggested that the league left players in the dark when agreeing to a lower purse for its upcoming tournament in Indianapolis. It’s added yet another negative headline as LIV scrambles to make ends meet.
The alternative golf league took the sports world by storm in 2022, swiping players from the PGA Tour with the lure of massive contracts and tournament winnings.
Fast forward four years, and fears of the league’s sustainability have been confirmed. The money has dried up. Players and vendors have reportedly gone unpaid following last week’s tournament in New York.
LIV Golf struggling to pay bills.
Reports of unpaid bills surfaced early this week. Front Office Sports says that vendors contracted for the Bedminster event have not been paid.
Many contract workers—both past and present—say they’re owed money for services rendered earlier this year and remain in the dark about when or if they will receive those payments…
The amounts owed to individuals by LIV range from several thousand dollars to nearly $100,000.
-FOS
One company has reportedly sued.
Making matters worse, the Sports Business Journal claims that players have yet to be paid for their performance in New York. Payments typically come out on Tuesday or Wednesday after the event. That time has come and gone. Some competitors are still waiting on winnings.
Now, speculation has arisen regarding potential holdouts for the final tournament. The field could look much smaller.
That season-ending event will take place in Indianapolis following the cancellation of the Michigan tournament, which was scheduled to start on August 27. The payout structure for Indiana has been also altered.
Will the purse be reduced?
🚨 @MarkAllenGolf gets a text with a shocking “insider” revelation about LIV Golf. pic.twitter.com/Q8IbEtatqG
— TalkBirdieToMe (@TalkBirdie_ToMe) August 18, 2026
Radio host Mark Allen says he got a text from a former LIV Golf employee suggesting that payouts would total a maximum of $12 million in Indianapolis.
That source says the league failed to inform its players.
Bob Harig later posted a payout structure for the final event which contradicts the assertion, showing a $10 million individual prize and $30 million team payout.
This week’s tournament purse was expected to be substantially lower than the $30M that was originally planned.
-SBJ
According to LIV’s media notes, the purse this week in Indianapolis will have just $10m for the individual portion. But $30m for the teams pic.twitter.com/KMjs11Nh6B
— Bob Harig (@BobHarig) August 18, 2026
Typically, the individual award is $20 million while the team payout is $10 million. That was the case in New York. This week’s payout structure is different, but the money is not shrinking, according to LIV.
The SBJ has been told the purse would be “substantially lower” than what was originally advertised, supporting Allen’s claim. The reports of unpaid expenses certainly don’t add confidence for competitors.
Regardless, LIV Golf’s season will soon come to an end. We’ll then wait to see what the future holds.