First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh back in action, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the LIV Golf League for the 2026 season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his family. The decision was reportedly amicably agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a highly competitive player who thrives in intense competition, something he rarely experienced at LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly because of injury concerns threatening his career and to secure a substantial retirement fund. Thus, skipping the last contractual season is not surprising, although questions remain whether he had to pay a buyout or return part of the guaranteed fee. He remains owner of the LIV team Smash GC, which recently named Talor Gooch as new captain.
Speculation now swirls about which fairways Koepka will play next: the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible (perhaps with a penalty), or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension after his last LIV appearance, following softened lifetime bans imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan. Why hold grudges when every returning LIV player benefits the longer-established tour? This crucial question seems partly answered: ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported that Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.
Any suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the 2026 season’s conclusion at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would then be eligible for 2027, the year the PGA Tour plans a new schedule condensing nearly two dozen $20 million events with limited, highly competitive fields—a perfect comeback scenario fitting Koepka’s preferences. Investors at PGA Tour Enterprises, the organization likely behind the new top league, would welcome another marquee name.
“He might need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour,” said Jon Rahm recently on the ‘Subpar’ podcast. “He will probably play at least the minimum, I’d say, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies or gets into the top events, he would play those too.” Perhaps the PGA Tour will overlook the suspension for the five-time major champion, as the board, player directors, and Tiger Woods-led competition committee—all having a say—seem inclined to follow Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to let Koepka play immediately. A majority of fans agree, according to a non-representative ‘Bunkered’ magazine poll.
Update: This is indeed what happened. Overnight, news spread rapidly that Koepka is reinstated immediately as a PGA Tour member and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. He is also confirmed to participate in the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. This became possible thanks to the newly introduced ‘Returning Member Program,’ allowing selected LIV players to regain PGA Tour membership without suspension.