A week ago at LIV Golf Indianapolis, Jon Rahm won the Individual Championship for the second successive year, claiming bonus money of $18m in the process.
Now, attention turns to the season-closing Team Championship at Michigan's The Cardinal at Saint John's, where the biggest prize money of the year is on the table.
The 13 regular LIV Golf events feature a purse of $25m, with $20m distributed in individual prize money and $5m to the top three teams.
However, there is an incredible $50m on the line at the Team Championship, with all 13 teams getting a share of that figure.
A year ago, Cameron Smith's Ripper GC won the Team Championship to claim a $14m first prize, of which 60% went back into the team, with 40% distributed equally among the four players.
That meant the team benefited to the tune of $8.4m, with the four players receiving $1.4m each. This year's distribution is identical, while the team placing runner-up will win $8m.
Ripper GC beat Iron Heads GC, 4 Aces GC and Legion XIII a year ago. However, one of those teams, Iron Heads GC, won't receive anything close to that this year.
Because of a tweaked format, we knew two days before the tournament properly began that Kevin Na's team had finished bottom of the pile.
Iron Heads GC was at the foot of the team standings after LIV Golf Indianapolis, with Majesticks GC just one place above them, meaning they faced a play-in match with the winner progressing to the quarter-finals of the Team Championship.
Majesticks GC won the match to condemn their opponents to the 13th and final position, meaning Na's team will pick up $600,000.
Following Saturday's semi-finals, just three teams remain in with a chance of winning the 2025 Team Championship in Sunday's stroke play round.
The teams in question are the three that emerged victorious from the Championship Bracket matches at the semi-finals stage.
Rahm's Legion XIII kept their hopes alive after beating Phil Mickelson's HyFlyers GC. Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers GC also remain in contention after beating Brooks Koepka's Smash GC, while Louis Oosthuizen's Stinger GC beat Joaquin Niemann's Torque GC in the semi-finals.
The three defeated teams will compete for places four to six, with prize money ranging between $4m and $3m.
The winning teams in the Rankings Bracket, Fireballs GC, 4 Aces GC and Ripper GC will have the chance to finish seventh, eighth or ninth. The losing teams, Cleeks GC, Majesticks GC and Range Goats GC, will jostle for positions 10th, 11th and 12th.
Below is the full prize money payout for the 2025 LIV Golf Team Championship.
LIV Golf Team Championship Prize Money Payout
Breakdown:
60% to team
40% to players (10% each)
Position |
Prize Money |
|---|---|
1st |
$14,000,000 |
2nd |
$8,000,000 |
3rd |
$6,000,000 |
4th |
$4,000,000 |
5th |
$3,250,000 |
6th |
$3,000,000 |
7th |
$2,750,000 |
8th |
$2,500,000 |
9th |
$2,000,000 |
10th |
$1,650,000 |
11th |
$1,300,000 |
12th |
$950,000 |
13th |
$600,000 |
Where Is The LIV Golf Team Championship Being Played?
If you're not familiar with The Cardinal at Saint John's in Plymouth, Michigan, that's likely because it only opened in 2024, although with an event as prestigious as the LIV Golf Team Championship being hosted there already, it appears set for a high profile in the coming years.
It was designed by Ray Hearn, who took advantage of the rolling landscape to create a winding layout. It also features deep bunkers, mature trees and lakes.
Hearn took inspiration from Donald Ross, Tom Bendelow and Willie Park Jr in the design, while the course, which replaced a 27-hole layout at the site, is a tribute to the Golden Age of golf course design.
What Happens To Team Earnings In LIV Golf?
In regular LIV Golf events, the $25m in prize money is divided between the top three teams and the players.
The players claim most of it, with $20m distributed among the 54 in each field. The remaining $5m sees $3m go to the winning team, $1.5m to the team finishing second and $500,000 to the team placing third. That money is then reinvested into the teams to help grow their franchises.
In the Team Championship, teams are seeded based on their position in the standings heading into the match. Each of the 13 teams receives a share of the $50m purse, with the winning team claiming $14m.
Overall, 60% of the prize money earned by each of the teams is reinvested, with the other 40% being distributed among the players.
So, in the case of the winning team, $8.4m goes towards building the team franchise, with the remaining $5.6m divided between its four players, or $1.4m each.
Who Won The 2024 LIV Golf Team Championship?
In 2024, Cameron Smith's Ripper GC won the Team Championship after a thrilling final round at Maridoe Golf Club in Dallas.
The all-Australian line-up was indebted to some excellent putting from Smith and Lucas Herbert to finish on 11-under, with the quartet winning by three shots over Iron Heads GC and 4 Aces GC.
