Welcome to Issue #39
“I honestly didn’t think I’d ever wear the European Ryder Cup logo again”
Padraig Harrington
What’s on my mind this week
Jackson Koivun deciding there are worse places to celebrate than by a lake in summer, Lucas Glover proving shoes can start as much debate as slow play, Si Woo Kim discovering Google Maps doesn't account for international borders when chasing Korean BBQ, Brian Harman bringing a different kind of birdie to the scoring room, rookie Michael Brennan finding out eight straight birdies still isn't enough, the PGA Tour wondering whether silence really is golden, Charley Hull's caddie already plotting his revenge, Aaron Rai with another win. This time, the inaugural Rory Award.
In the news
Why it matters: Multiple reports indicate LIV Golf is expected to cancel its Michigan Team Championship while delaying an official announcement amid investor talks. If confirmed, the move would reduce the 2026 schedule from 14 events to 12.
Our Take: If confirmed, the cancellation would be more damaging than the numbers suggest. The Team Championship is the centrepiece of LIV's team-league product, the event designed to produce the season-defining narrative and crown an annual team champion. Its cancellation would mean LIV finishes 2026 without crowning a team champion, undermining the entire team-league value proposition the league has been selling to investors and sponsors since 2022. Vendor payment lawsuits, contractor cancellations, and Detroit News reporting that no infrastructure buildout had taken place at the host course are consistent with mounting cash flow pressure. The investor pitch for a 10-event schedule reaching profitability in three years now has to explain how a league that couldn't deliver 14 events on PIF funding will achieve profitability on a 10-event model using $250-350 million of external capital.