LIV returns to the Cardinal for the 2026 Michigan Team Championship

LIV golf returns to Michigan for a second year at The Cardinal in Plymouth. The competition dates are August 27-30, 2026.

Last summer’s LIV team championship in the Cardinal was clearly a success in the eyes of both LIV and St. John’s management. The turnout was good and people seemed to be having fun. Some reports say the team championship drew as many as 30,000 fans over the three days (although I’m skeptical of self-reported numbers from any tournament, LIV or PGAT).

Unfortunately, the LIV event is the same weekend as the venerable Champions Tour Ally Challenge at Warwick Hills. On the plus side, I notice that the tournaments serve different demographics and different geographic regions.

For example, LIV had concerts by Imagine Dragons and Swedish House Mafia. The Ally Challenge has featured concerts in recent years with country acts Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Dierks Bently, Big and Rich, Thomas Rett and Sam Hunt.

I argue that the audiences for Little Big Town and Imagine Dragons are generally different.

The Rocket Classic, held at the Detroit Golf Club, is scheduled for July 30 – August 2. This is later than previous years due to the (British) Open Championship.

I thought LIV put on a good show last year, even if it reminded me a bit of a fair: while the ostensible reason for a fair is to show livestock and produce, the real attractions are the carnival rides, food, drinks and music. Likewise, the golf at LIV seemed in many ways a backdrop to music (from speakers on the course, with two concerts afterwards), food and drink.

That could well be the model for golf tournaments in the future. Relatively few will pay the entrance fee to see cows and ears of corn. What people get at a fair is an entertainment package.

Likewise, LIV offers an entertainment package. The PGA TOUR needs to take notes and consider their tournaments not as golf competitions, but as a day (or weekend) of golf-oriented entertainment.

In a previous post I had some ideas for the Rocket Classic. The more I think about it, the more convinced I become that having concerts included in the ticket price is a must – and a minimum – for the Rocket. The Rocket’s new management must also think creatively about other value-added entertainment options.

LIV got a large part of the formula right in 2025. It will be interesting to see if the formula holds up for next year.

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