First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh aims for a comeback, Charley Hull launching on YouTube soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has opted out of the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains connected to the competitor circuit but needs more family time, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka, known as a competitor who thrives in high-level contests, struggled to find motivation at LIV. Originally joining LIV in 2022 with injury concerns about ending his career, he sought a solid retirement fund. Questions remain about whether he bought out of his final contract year or refunded guaranteed earnings, and if he still owns his LIV team Smash GC, which recently appointed Talor Gooch as captain.
Speculation focuses on where Koepka will next appear: the DP World Tour, possibly immediately eligible despite potential penalties, or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV event, after lifetime bans were softened. The PGA Tour seems to welcome LIV returnees, especially prominent ones. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022, to regain player status.
An eventual suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. He would be eligible for 2027 when the PGA Tour launches its new schedule featuring about two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited, top-tier fields—an ideal comeback scenario for Koepka. PGA Tour Enterprises investors would value his return. Jon Rahm recently told the \”Subpar\” podcast he believes Koepka will return, likely playing minimally at first and then the big events he prefers if qualified. The PGA Tour’s board, player directors, and Tiger Woods-led competition committee retain discretion on suspensions, reportedly following Rory McIlroy’s suggestion to reinstate Koepka promptly.
Update: It happened. News spread rapidly Monday evening that Koepka is immediately eligible for the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open later January at Torrey Pines. His participation in the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona, is confirmed.
This was enabled by the \”Returning Member Program,\” introduced last Thursday, allowing select LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour without suspension, with Koepka’s sporting merits considered, notably his 2023 PGA Championship victory.
The PGA Tour said the exception applies only to major winners and Players winners from the past three years, with a deadline of February 2. CEO Brian Rolapp calls it a one-time, defined opportunity with no precedent. This likely concerns Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cam Smith, unsettling LIV Golf.
Koepka’s penalty for defecting is mild: a $5 million donation to the PGA Tour charity, exclusion from the 2026 FedEx Cup bonus system, and five years out of the PGA Tour Enterprises equity program funded by investor deposits.