First start at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager to compete again, Charley Hull launching YouTube channel. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will stay connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family. This was reportedly a mutual friendly agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is known as a competitor motivated by high-level competition, which was limited during his LIV time. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns and to secure a solid retirement payout. Therefore, skipping his last contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain about potential buyouts or repayments. He remains the owner of the LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation is rife about where Koepka will next play—DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible, possibly with a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he is serving a one-year ban since his last LIV start, following a significant reduction of the lifetime ban enforced by former commissioner Jay Monahan. Given that every returning LIV player benefits the longer-established PGA Tour, the question seems partially answered. As ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which lapsed after 2022, to rejoin the players’ pool.