First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh wants to try again, Charley Hull also soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his family, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is known as a competitive athlete who thrives in high-level competition, something he had limited motivation for at LIV Golf. He switched to LIV in 2022 mainly due to injuries threatening his career, aiming to secure a solid retirement fund. Thus, his skipping the final contracted season is not surprising, although questions about a possible buyout or salary repayment remain. He also remains owner of the LIV team Smash GC, with Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculation grows about where Koepka will next compete: the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible (possibly with a fine), or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension following his last LIV appearance. Previously imposed lifetime bans by former commissioner Jay Monahan have been significantly softened. Returning LIV players benefit the PGA Tour strategically, and this question seems partly answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which he did not renew after 2022.
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Any suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the 2026 PGA Tour Championship from August 27–30. Koepka would be eligible for 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new condensed schedule featuring nearly two dozen $20 million events with limited, exclusive fields — an ideal comeback moment. PGA Tour Enterprises investors would surely welcome a marquee name like Koepka.
\”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” Jon Rahm recently said in the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He’ll probably play at least the minimum, and why not participate in the tournaments he likes, the majors. If he qualifies or gets invitations to top events, he’ll play those as well.\” There is speculation that the PGA Tour might be lenient with the suspension for a five-time major champion like Koepka. Voting rights on suspensions lie with the board, player directors, and Tiger Woods-led competition committee, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to allow Koepka’s immediate return — echoed by a majority of fans per \”Bunkered\” magazine’s informal poll.
Update: \”Perhaps the PGA Tour did cut some slack for the five-time major champion\” — and so it happened. News broke quickly that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. His participation at the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona, is also confirmed. This was enabled by a newly introduced rule called the \”Returning Member Program