Bryson DeChambeau confirms LIV Golf 2026 start, Vijay Singh returns to PGA at 62, Charley Hull to start YouTube channel. The Back Nine.
Expected? Brooks Koepka has reportedly withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains connected to the rival circuit but wants more family time. LIV CEO Scott McNeil stated the decision was amicable. Koepka is a competitive player who thrives in top-level contests, which he found limited in LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly amid injury concerns, aiming to secure a solid retirement fund. Thus, skipping the last contracted season isn’t surprising, though questions remain about any buyout or partial payback. He still owns the LIV team Smash GC, with Talor Gooch as new captain.
Speculation grows about where Koepka will compete next. The DP World Tour would grant immediate eligibility, perhaps with a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV event, reduced from lifetime bans under former Commissioner Jay Monahan. Why retaliate if returning LIV players, especially prominent ones, boost the established tour? ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reports Koepka formally applied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership last Friday.
A possible suspension expires in August, coinciding with the 2026 Tour Championship ending August 27-30. For 2027, Koepka could compete under the PGA Tour’s compressed schedule featuring around two dozen $20 million events with limited elite fields—an ideal comeback stage suiting his preferences. PGA Tour Enterprises investors would also favor a marketable name like Koepka.
\”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” Jon Rahm recently said 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 gets invites to premium events, he’d play those too.\” There may even be leniency on his suspension, as player directors and Tiger Woods-led competition committee can influence decisions, aligning with Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to reinstate Koepka immediately. A majority of fans seem to agree, according to a non-representative \”Bunkered\” magazine poll.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Golf Start for 2026
Bryson DeChambeau officially confirmed his participation in LIV Golf in 2026. His Crushers team, including Charles Howell III, Paul Casey, and Anirban Lahiri, will continue unchanged into the fifth season. Interestingly, DeChambeau did not announce a general contract extension. Speculation runs about behind-the-scenes agreements to retain LIV’s currently most prominent and marketable player after Koepka’s departure.
Vijay Singh Returns to PGA Tour at 62
Surprise move: Vijay Singh returns to the PGA Tour at age 62. The three-time major winner from Fiji leverages an exemption based on his career money list position and will start this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Singh has won five titles on the PGA Tour Champions, including the Senior