Bryson DeChambeau confirms LIV Golf League start in 2026, Vijay Singh makes a surprising return to the PGA Tour at 62, and Charley Hull announces her own YouTube channel. The Back Nine.
Brooks Koepka, the five-time major winner, has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh, citing the need for more family time while maintaining his ties with the rival circuit. LIV CEO Scott McNeil stated the decision was amicable. Koepka, known for his competitive spirit at the highest level, has shown limited enthusiasm in LIV after moving there in 2022, primarily to secure his retirement fund amid injury concerns. Questions remain whether he had to buy out his contract or repay part of his guaranteed salary, and if he will continue as owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which named Talor Gooch as captain.
Speculation grows about where Koepka will play next—DP World Tour, where he would be eligible possibly paying a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV appearance after lifetime bans were softened. According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which lapsed after 2022.
An eventual suspension would end in August, coinciding with the 2026 season finale at the Tour Championship but allowing Koepka to play in 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new slate of about two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited elite fields, a perfect comeback opportunity for Koepka and an attractive prospect for PGA Tour Enterprise investors.
Jon Rahm recently expressed belief Koepka will return to PGA Tour, playing at least minimally and likely his favored big events. PGA Tour leadership including Tiger Woods’ competition committee may waive suspensions for high-profile returning players, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to reinstate Koepka immediately. Fan sentiment also aligns with this, based on a non-representative poll by Bunkered magazine.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Start in 2026
Bryson DeChambeau officially confirmed his participation in the LIV Golf League in 2026 with his Crushers team of Charles Howell III, Paul Casey and Anirban Lahiri remaining intact for the fifth season. However, DeChambeau has not announced a general contract extension, fueling speculation about negotiations behind the scenes to retain LIV’s current biggest star after Koepka’s departure.
Vijay Singh Returns to PGA Tour at 62
In a surprising move, the three-time major winner Vijay Singh from Fiji is returning to the PGA Tour at age 62, utilizing an exemption based on his career money list position. He debuted this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii, having previously competed on the PGA Tour Champions with five wins including the Senior Players Championship.
Tomorrow’s Golf League Struggles Without Tiger Woods
The second season opener of the Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL) on ABC drew only 646,000 viewers, down from 919,000 on ESPN in the inaugural season’s first event. Without