First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh is back, Charley Hull to launch YouTube channel soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting on February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for family. This was a friendly agreement according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a competitor who gets motivated and fired up during top-level competition, something he lacked at LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 largely because of injuries threatening his career and to secure a good retirement fund. So, foregoing the final contracted season is not surprising, although questions remain about contract buyouts or refunds. At 35, he apparently remains the owner of LIV team Smash GC, with Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculations arise about which tour Koepka will compete on next. The DP World Tour would grant immediate eligibility, likely with a penalty. Or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV appearance, following reductions of the initial lifetime bans imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan. It makes sense not to retaliate excessively, especially as every prominent LIV returnee bolsters the PGA Tour’s interests. This question appears partly answered, as ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not extended after 2022.
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Any potential suspension would end by August, coinciding with the 2026 season’s conclusion at the Tour Championship August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible to play in 2027, matching the PGA Tour’s new compressed schedule featuring nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited elite fields—a perfect comeback timing fitting Koepka’s style. PGA Tour Enterprises investors would welcome a marquee name like Koepka for their top league.
\”He might need some time, but I believe 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 is invited to high-profile events, he would compete in those.\” Perhaps the PGA Tour will be lenient with the five-time major champion, as the player directors and Tiger Woods-led competition committee have influence over suspensions, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to allow Koepka back immediately.
Update: On Monday evening local time, news spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible to compete on the PGA Tour and will tee it up at the Farmers Insurance Open late January at Torrey Pines. His participation at the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona, is also confirmed.
This became possible through a new rule called the \”Returning Member Program\” created last Thursday, allowing select LIV players to resume PGA Tour membership without suspension. Koepka’s sporting