Bryson DeChambeau confirms LIV start for 2026, Vijay Singh returns to PGA Tour at 62, Charley Hull launches YouTube channel. The Back Nine.
Expected? Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. LIV CEO Scott McNeil stated this was a friendly agreement. Koepka is known as a competitor who thrives in high-level contests, which LIV has only somewhat provided. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury doubts ending his career and to secure retirement earnings. His skipping the last contracted season raises questions: Did he pay to exit or refund part of his guaranteed salary? Is he still owner of his LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch?
Speculation grows on where Koepka will next compete. On the DP World Tour, where he’d be immediately eligible, possibly with a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension after his last LIV event, following a significant easing of former Commissioner Jay Monahan’s lifetime bans? It makes little sense to be vindictive when LIV returnees benefit the better-positioned tours. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reports Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.
A potential suspension expires in August, coinciding with the 2026 season closing at the Tour Championship (August 27-30). Koepka would be eligible to play in 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new schedule of about two dozen $20-million tournaments with limited strong fields – the perfect comeback timing in Koepka’s view. Investors in PGA Tour Enterprises, likely managing the new top league, would welcome his star power.
“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 and why not the big tournaments he likes? If he qualifies or gets into them, he’ll play those too.” Perhaps the PGA Tour will be lenient with a five-time major champion, considering opinions from Tiger Woods’ competition committee and Rory McIlroy, who supports Koepka’s immediate return. A majority of fans appear to agree, according to a non-representative poll by Bunkered magazine.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Start for 2026
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 will enter their fifth season unchanged. Interestingly, BDC has not announced a general contract extension. Speculation continues about behind-the-scenes arrangements to retain the league’s current biggest and most marketable player after Koepka’s departure.
Vijay Singh Returns to PGA Tour at 62
In a surprising move, 62-year-old Vijay Singh returns to the PGA Tour, using an exemption based on his career earnings rank. The three-time major winner from Fiji will start this week at