First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh also returns, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the LIV Golf League for the 2026 season starting on February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his family. This was a friendly agreement according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitive type who thrives in high-level competition, something he felt less of in LIV. He had mainly joined LIV in 2022 as he feared an early end to his career due to injuries and wanted to secure a good retirement fund. Given that, his decision to skip the last contractually required season is not surprising, although questions remain. Did he have to buy out his contract or repay part of his guaranteed salary? Is he still the owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which already appointed Talor Gooch as the new captain?
Speculations are rife regarding which fairways Koepka will play on next. The DP World Tour would grant him immediate eligibility, possibly with a penalty payment, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year ban after his last LIV appearance, given that the former commissioner Jay Monahan significantly softened the previously lifetime bans. Why be vindictive when any prominent LIV returnee benefits the PGA Tour, which holds more leverage? This key question seems partly answered now. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which had not been renewed after 2022, aiming to rejoin the player ranks.
An eventual ban would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would then be eligible to play in 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new schedule, featuring nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited exclusive fields – a perfect time for a comeback that suits Koepka’s style. Investors at PGA Tour Enterprises, likely the operators of this top league, would surely welcome such a star name.
\”He might need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm recently in the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He will probably at least play the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies or can enter the high-profile tournaments, he would play those as well.\” Maybe the PGA Tour will turn a blind eye to the five-time major champion in Ponte Vedra Beach – decisions about bans involve the board, player directors, and the Tiger Woods-led competition committee, which follows Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to immediately allow Koepka to play again. According to a non-representative survey by \”Bunkered\” magazine, a majority of fans share this view.
Update: \”And perhaps they will turn a blind eye to a five-time major winner in Ponte Vedra Beach\” – this has indeed happened. News quickly spread 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 in the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale