First start already at the Farmers Insurance Open; Vijay Singh returns; Charley Hull announces YouTube channel. 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for family. This was reportedly agreed on amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka, known as a competitor motivated by top-level competition, did not fully find that at LIV. He had originally joined LIV in 2022 primarily to secure a solid retirement fund due to injury concerns. Therefore, skipping his last contract year is not surprising, although questions remain about potential buyouts or guarantees repayment. Koepka remains owner of the LIV team Smash GC, with Talor Gooch as new captain.
Speculation focuses on where Koepka will play next. He is immediately eligible for the DP World Tour, possibly needing to pay a penalty, or on the PGA Tour, where he served a one-year suspension after his last LIV appearance— a suspension significantly softened from the lifetime bans imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan. It raises the question why the PGA Tour would not welcome a prominent LIV returnee. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that Koepka officially applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership after it was not renewed post-2022 and to rejoin the player pool.