Bryson DeChambeau confirms LIV start in 2026, Vijay Singh returns to PGA, Charley Hull launching YouTube channel. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has opted out of the 2026 LIV Golf League season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s friendly official statement. Koepka, a fierce competitor who thrives at the highest level, showed limited motivation at LIV and joined in 2022 largely due to injury concerns near career end and a lucrative retirement payout. So his decision to skip the last contracted season is understandable, though questions remain whether he had to buy out or repay guaranteed money, and if he keeps ownership of his LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation abounds about Koepka’s next playing venues — the DP World Tour where he could play immediately, perhaps with a penalty, or the PGA Tour where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV start, after former commissioner Jay Monahan’s lifetime bans were softened. Why be vindictive when every returning LIV player benefits the established Tour? This was partly answered recently when ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported Koepka formally reapplied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership last Friday.
An eventual suspension would end in August, coinciding with the Tour Championship closing the 2026 season, making 2027 the ideal comeback window with the PGA’s condensed schedule of about two dozen $20 million tournaments featuring limited elite fields. This suits Koepka perfectly and would please PGA Tour Enterprises investors backing the new top-level league.
\”He might need some time but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm recently on the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He’ll probably play at least the minimum, the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies for high-profile events, he’d play those too.\” Possibly, the five-time major champ could be granted leniency by the board, player directors, and Tiger Woods-led competition committee, following Rory McIlroy’s support for Koepka’s immediate return. Bunkered magazine’s unscientific poll indicates most fans agree.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Start for 2026
Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau officially confirmed, he will compete in the LIV Golf League in 2026. His Crushers team with Charles Howell III, Paul Casey, and Anirban Lahiri enters its fifth season unchanged. Interestingly, DeChambeau did not announce a general contract extension, raising speculation about behind-the-scenes agreements to retain the league’s most marketable star after Koepka’s departure.
Vijay Singh Returns to PGA Tour at 62
Surprising move: 62-year-old three-time major winner Vijay Singh from Fiji is returning to the PGA Tour. Using an exemption based on career earnings ranking, he will play this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii. Singh has won five titles on the PGA Tour Champions, including the Senior Players Championship.
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