First start already at the Farmers; Vijay Singh eager for a comeback; Charley Hull launching on YouTube soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh. The five-time major champion will stay connected to the competing circuit but needs more family time, said LIV CEO Scott McNeil in an official statement. However, speculation remains about Koepka’s future fairways. Will he play on the DP World Tour immediately, possibly with a penalty, or return to the PGA Tour after serving a one-year suspension following his last LIV appearance? According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not extended after 2022.
Koepka’s suspension is set to expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30. This timing is ideal for his 2027 eligibility when the PGA Tour introduces a compressed schedule featuring nearly two dozen $20 million events with limited but elite fields. Jon Rahm recently expressed confidence that Koepka will return to the PGA Tour, likely playing select big tournaments. There’s even talk that the PGA Tour’s returning member program—enabling select LIV players to rejoin without suspension—has paved the way for Koepka, who must make a $5 million charity donation and faces restrictions on FedEx Cup bonuses and capital participation for 2026.
Update: News broke that Koepka is immediately eligible for the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines, with the WM Phoenix Open already confirmed as well. The special exemption applies to major winners and Players champions from the last three years.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Participation in 2026
Bryson DeChambeau officially confirmed he will compete in the 2026 LIV Golf season. His Crushers team with Charles Howell III, Paul Casey, and Anirban Lahiri remains intact for the fifth season. No general contract extension was announced, fueling speculation on internal negotiations behind the scenes.
Vijay Singh Back on PGA Tour at 62
In a surprising move, three-time major winner Vijay Singh returns to the PGA Tour at 62, utilizing an exemption based on his career earnings ranking. He is set to start this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii, having previously competed on the PGA Tour Champions with five titles including the Senior Players Championship.
TGL Struggles with TV Ratings in Season Two
Without Tiger Woods, the Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL) faces challenges in maintaining viewership. The second season kickoff on ABC drew 646,000 viewers, down from 919,000 on ESPN in the inaugural season. Subsequent matches drew even smaller audiences, highlighting the difficulty of sustaining momentum without Woods as the star attraction.
Charley Hull to Launch Own YouTube Channel
Following Bryson DeChambeau’s success with over three million subscribers, Charley Hull announced plans for her own channel, The Sweet Spot, aiming to debut this summer. The English