First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh is ready for more, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his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 was reportedly amicably agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which he found limited at LIV. He initially joined LIV in 2022 expecting to end his career due to injuries and secure a solid retirement fund. Thus, skipping the last contract year is unsurprising, although questions remain about buyout details and if he remains owner of LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation grows about where Koepka will play next: DP World Tour, where immediate eligibility might come with a fine? Or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension following his last LIV event, reduced from a lifetime ban. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka has formally applied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which had not been renewed after 2022.
Any suspension would end in August, coinciding with the 2026 season finale at the Tour Championship. This timing positions Koepka well for a 2027 return to the PGA Tour’s new schedule of about two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited elite fields—ideal for his comeback. Investors in PGA Tour Enterprises would welcome a star like Koepka. Jon Rahm recently expressed confidence in Koepka’s return on the \”Subpar\” podcast, suggesting Koepka would likely play a minimum schedule focusing on big tournaments and possibly get eased in by tour officials following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation.
Update: Indeed, Koepka regained immediate PGA Tour eligibility Monday evening and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January in Torrey Pines, with confirmed participation at the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona. Enabled by the new \”Returning Member Program,\” created last Thursday, this rule allows select LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour membership without suspension, considering recent major winners like Koepka, who won the 2023 PGA Championship.
The PGA Tour states this special provision applies only to major and Players Championship winners from the past three years, ending February 2, with no guarantee of future recurrence, said CEO Brian Rolapp. This development challenges players like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cam Smith and unsettles the LIV Golf League.
Koepka’s penalty for switching to LIV is mild: a $5 million donation to PGA Tour charity, exclusion from the FedEx Cup bonus system in 2026, and a five-year ban from PGA Tour equity programs.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Start for 2026
Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau officially confirmed he will compete in the LIV Golf League in 2026. His Crushers team, including Charles Howell III, Paul Casey, and An