First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager to compete again, 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for family. That was mutually agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitor who becomes highly motivated and fired up during high-level competition, which he lacked somewhat in LIV. He initially joined LIV in 2022 primarily because injury had put his career at risk and he aimed to secure a substantial retirement fund. Therefore, his skipping the final contractual season is understandable, though questions remain. Did he buy out his contract or return part of the guaranteed money? Does the 35-year-old still own his LIV team Smash GC, which recently appointed Talor Gooch as captain?
Speculation abounds about where Koepka will play next: the DP World Tour where he would be immediately eligible—possibly with a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he would serve a one-year suspension following his last LIV event, after the former commissioner Jay Monahan softened lifetime bans? With every LIV returnee potentially benefiting the longer-established PGA Tour, this key question seems partly answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which had not been renewed after 2022.