First start already at the Farmers; Vijay Singh eager for a comeback; 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. This amicable agreement was officially announced by LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which LIV only partially provided. He switched in 2022 mainly because of injury concerns near the end of his career and to secure a solid retirement fund. His skipping the last contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain about financial details and whether he remains an owner of the LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation centers on where Koepka will play next: the DP World Tour, where he would likely be eligible immediately possibly paying a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV appearance, after previously lifetime bans were softened. Why retaliate when every LIV returning player, especially a big name, benefits the stronger tour? Recent reports from ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reveal Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.
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Any suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 PGA Tour season at the Tour Championship. Koepka would be eligible to play in 2027, precisely when the PGA Tour introduces a condensed schedule of about two dozen $20-million tournaments with limited, highly competitive fields. This timing suits Koepka’s style perfectly and would please PGA Tour Enterprises investors seeking marquee names.
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