First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager to play again, Charley Hull soon launching 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family. This was agreed upon amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitor who thrives and gets motivated in high-level competitions, something he somewhat lacked at LIV. In 2022, he joined LIV mainly because he feared his career might end due to injury and wanted a solid retirement fund. His skipping the final contractual season doesn’t come as a surprise, though questions remain: Did he have to buy out part of his guaranteed pay? Does the 35-year-old remain an owner of LIV’s Smash GC team, which already appointed Talor Gooch as new captain?
Speculations abound on which fairways Koepka will soon appear. The DP World Tour would grant immediate playing rights—possibly with a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he serves a one-year suspension after his last LIV event, with lifetime bans from ex-Commissioner Jay Monahan significantly softened? Why seek revenge when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one, benefits the stronger Tour? This key question seems partially answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022, to rejoin the player ranks.