Bryson DeChambeau confirms LIV start for 2026, Vijay Singh returns to PGA at 62, Charley Hull to launch YouTube channel. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains attached to the rival circuit but needs more family time. This amicable agreement was announced by LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a competitive type, motivated mainly by top-level competition, which LIV provided only limitedly. His 2022 move to the Saudi-backed league was largely driven by injury concerns near the end of his career and to secure a solid retirement fund. So his opting out of his final contractual season is unsurprising, though questions remain: did he have to pay back part of his guaranteed salary? Does he still own his LIV team Smash GC, which appointed Talor Gooch as new captain?
Speculation now centers on where Koepka will play next: the DP World Tour where he would be immediately eligible—likely with a penalty—or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension following his last LIV event, after former commissioner Jay Monahan significantly softened lifetime bans. Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee benefits the established tour wielding greater influence? This key question appears partially answered. According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which lapsed after 2022, to rejoin the player ranks.