First start already at the Farmers; Vijay Singh is back, and 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his family. This friendly agreement was the official statement from LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a competitive type who gets highly motivated and fired up only in high-level sports competitions, which was somewhat limited for him in LIV. He switched mainly in 2022 because of injury concerns jeopardizing his career and wanted a solid retirement fund. Given this, his waiver of the last contractually stipulated season is unsurprising, although questions remain, such as whether he had to buy out or return part of his guaranteed fee. The 35-year-old still owns his LIV team Smash GC, which appointed Talor Gooch the new captain.
Speculation is rife about which courses Koepka will soon appear on. On the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible—possibly with a penalty? Or on the PGA Tour, where he is serving a one-year suspension since his last LIV event, following the significant reduction of former Commissioner Jay Monahan’s lifetime bans? Why be vindictive if every LIV returnee, especially a prominent name, benefits the already stronger Tour? This key question seems partly answered: according to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which had not been renewed after 2022, to rejoin the playing ranks.