First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh is back on the PGA Tour, and Charley Hull is launching a YouTube channel. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the LIV Golf League for the 2026 season starting on February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will remain connected with the rival circuit but needs more family time. This was reportedly a friendly agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is known as a competitive spirit who thrives in high-level tournaments, something he found limited in LIV Golf. Having joined LIV in 2022 mainly because of injury concerns and to secure a substantial retirement fund, his opting out of the last contract year is not surprising, though questions remain about possible buyouts or repayments. It is also unclear if the 35-year-old will remain an owner of the LIV team Smash GC, which has already appointed Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculation abounds about where Koepka will next compete—whether on the DP World Tour, where he could play immediately possibly against a penalty, or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension after his last LIV event, since the lifetime bans imposed by former commissioner Jay Monahan have been softened. Why hold grudges when every LIV returnee benefits the more dominant PGA Tour? ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported last Friday that Koepka formally applied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which had not been renewed after 2022, seeking reinstatement among the players.
An eventual suspension would end in August, coinciding with the conclusion of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27-30, but Koepka would be eligible to play in 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new schedule of about two dozen $20-million tournaments featuring limited, fully competitive fields—an ideal comeback scenario suiting Koepka’s competitive nature. PGA Tour Enterprises investors would also welcome such a high-profile name back in the top league.
Jon Rahm recently expressed confidence in the podcast \”Subpar\” saying, \”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour. He’ll probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones? If he qualifies or gets invitations to high-profile events, he will play those as well.\” Perhaps PGA Tour leaders in Ponte Vedra Beach will be lenient with the five-time major winner, as both the board and the players’ directors, plus the competition committee led by Tiger Woods, have influence over suspensions and may heed Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to reinstate Koepka directly.
Update: Exactly as anticipated, news spread quickly Monday evening local time that Koepka is immediately eligible to compete on the PGA Tour again and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines at the end of January. Participation in the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona, is also confirmed.
This is enabled by a new regulation named the “Returning Member Program,” introduced last Thursday, allowing selected LIV players to regain PGA Tour membership without suspension. Koepka’s sporting