First start already at Farmers, Vijay Singh eager for a comeback, Charley Hull to launch YouTube channel soon. 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As expected: Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner stays connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family. LIV CEO Scott McNeil stated this was amicably agreed upon. Koepka is a competitor who thrives in top-level competition and gets fired up, which was somewhat limited at LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns at the end of his career and to secure a substantial retirement fund. His decision to waive the last contracted season is understandable, though questions remain about buyout conditions or salary repayments. He remains owner of LIV team Smash GC, which recently named Talor Gooch as new captain.
Speculations arise about where Koepka will compete next. The DP World Tour would grant him immediate playing rights, possibly with a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV start, a ban significantly softened from the initial lifetime suspension by former Commissioner Jay Monahan. The key question seems partly answered: according to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, lapsing after 2022, and be reinstated as a player.
His potential suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible to play in 2027 as the PGA Tour plans to launch a compressed schedule of nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited fields. This aligns perfectly with Koepka’s preferences. PGA Tour Enterprises investors, likely the owners of this new top league, would welcome a star like him.
\”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” Jon Rahm recently said on the ‘Subpar’ podcast. \”He’ll probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones? If he qualifies for or gets invites to high-profile events, he’ll play those too.\” There is also speculation that PGA Tour leadership, including the Tiger Woods-led competition committee and player directors, may be lenient on his suspension, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to reinstate Koepka immediately. Likewise, most fans support this move, as per a non-representative ‘Bunkered’ poll.
Update: As speculated, Koepka has been reinstated immediately and will play the Farmers Insurance Open late January in Tor