First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager for more, Charley Hull 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his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. This was a friendly agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is known as a competitive player who thrives on high-level sports challenges, something he found limited at LIV. He originally joined LIV in 2022 mainly for financial reasons due to injury concerns about ending his career. Thus, skipping his last contracted season is unsurprising, though questions remain about financial settlements and his ownership status of the LIV team Smash GC, which named Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculation grows about which fairways Koepka will appear on next. The DP World Tour would grant him immediate playing rights likely with a penalty, or the PGA Tour where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV event, after former commissioner Jay Monahan eased lifetime bans significantly. Why be vindictive when every returning LIV player benefits the established Tour? This crucial question seems partially answered. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership not extended after 2022, seeking to rejoin the player pool.
An eventual suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the 2026 season closing at the Tour Championship from August 27–30. Koepka would be eligible for 2027 under the PGA Tour’s compressed schedule of about two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited elite fields – a perfect comeback timing suited to him. PGA Tour Enterprises investors, likely the top league’s backers, would welcome such a star.
\”He might need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm recently 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 or gets into those high-profile events, he’d play them too.\” Perhaps the PGA Tour will be lenient with the five-time major winner in Ponte Vedra Beach. Besides the board, the player directors and the competition committee, led by Tiger Woods, influence suspension decisions and follow Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to allow Koepka back immediately. Likewise, a majority of fans seemingly agree, as per a non-representative survey by ‘Bunkered’ magazine.
Update: \”And maybe the PGA Tour will cut some slack for a five-time major winner in Ponte Vedra Beach\” – exactly that happened. News spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open late January in Torrey Pines. He is also confirmed for the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.
This became possible through a newly introduced ‘Returning Member Program’ allowing selected LIV players to regain PGA Tour membership without suspension.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Start for 2026
Bryson