First start at the Farmers, Vijay Singh makes a comeback, Charley Hull launches YouTube channel. The Back Nine.
Expected: Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the LIV Golf League season 2026, which begins February 7 in Riyadh. The five-time major champion will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his family, according to an amicable agreement cited by LIV CEO Scott McNeil. However, Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which he found limited in LIV. He switched to LIV in 2022 mainly because of injury concerns near career’s end, seeking substantial retirement funds. Thus, skipping the final contracted season is not surprising, though questions about financial conditions remain. Will he remain owner of his LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch?
Speculation is rife about which fairways Koepka will next appear on. The DP World Tour where he is immediately eligible, likely with a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he must serve a one-year suspension due to LIV participation, now softened from lifetime bans? This significant question seems partly answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.