LONDON: LIV Golf has announced sweeping changes to the format of its season-ending Team Championship, in what organizers hope will provide a more action-packed spectacle when the event returns to Michigan later this month.
The 2025 edition, taking place Aug. 22–24 at The Cardinal at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth, will see all 48 players from the 12 remaining teams compete across three full days of play.
The overhaul removes previous first-round byes and introduces a high-stakes play-in match on Wednesday, ensuring fans get more chances to watch the league’s biggest stars in action throughout the entire week.
In a significant shift, the two lowest-ranked teams entering the week, seeded 12th and 13th based on regular-season standings, will face off in a single-elimination play-in on Aug. 20.
The winner progresses to the main draw, while the losing team is eliminated.
Friday’s quarterfinals will feature all 12 qualified teams in match play, with pairings selected by the highest-ranked team captains.
The format, consisting of two singles matches and one alternate-shot (foursomes) match, will be repeated in Saturday’s semifinals, where teams are divided into a Championship Bracket and a Rankings Bracket based on quarterfinal results.
Each match carries a total of three points, with the first team to earn two progressing.
The Championship culminates on Sunday with a shift to stroke play.
All 48 players will compete, with each team’s total score made up of all four individual player scores, a format that places equal importance on every shot from every player.
Positions will be finalized across four tiers. The three finalists in the Championship Bracket will compete for the overall title, with other teams ranked based on their respective finishes in the Championship or Rankings brackets.
One of the key tactical tweaks this year gives the higher-seeded team captain in each match the advantage of seeing the opponent’s lineup before finalizing his own, a move that could prove decisive in closely fought contests.
“I think you’ll see a few teams get knocked out that you maybe wouldn’t expect,” said Cameron Smith, captain of reigning champions Ripper GC. Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau added: “More pressure. Each day matters more.”
Ross Hallett, LIV Golf’s executive vice president and head of events, said the updated format was designed with fans in mind.
“The new format reflects the league’s goal to consistently enhance both our competition and fan experiences while producing an exciting and memorable event,” he said.
“These updates mean fans will get more golf from our top teams and put added pressure on players to perform from start to finish as we look to crown our global team champion.
“We’re looking forward to putting on a fantastic championship event filled with high-stakes competition, world-class concerts and family-friendly activities to be enjoyed by fans of all ages,” he added.
