First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh is back too, Charley Hull will soon launch on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the LIV Golf League for the 2026 season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for his family. This was amicably agreed upon, according to an official statement by LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a competitor who is highly motivated and fired up only in high-level sports contests, something he experienced only to a limited extent at LIV. He originally switched to LIV in 2022 mainly because of injury concerns about his career ending and to secure solid retirement earnings. Therefore, his waiver of the last contractually required season is not surprising, though questions remain about whether he had to buy out or return part of his guaranteed salary. The 35-year-old still owns his LIV team Smash GC, which has already appointed Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculation is rife about which fairways Koepka will appear on next. The DP World Tour would allow immediate playing status—possibly with a penalty payment—or the PGA Tour, where he must serve a one-year suspension due to his last LIV start, after the lifetime bans imposed by former commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly softened. Why hold grudges when any prominent LIV returnee benefits the already dominant PGA Tour? This key question seems partially answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership not extended after 2022 and be reinstated as a player.