Bryson DeChambeau confirms LIV start for 2026, Vijay Singh makes PGA Tour comeback, Charley Hull to launch YouTube channel. Back Nine highlights.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains affiliated with the rival circuit but needs more family time. This was a mutual agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which he found limited in LIV. Having joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns about his career and to secure a substantial retirement fund, his skipping of the final contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain. Did he have to buy out or return part of his guaranteed pay? Does the 35-year-old remain owner of LIV team Smash GC, which appointed Talor Gooch as the new captain?
Speculation surrounds where Koepka will compete next. The DP World Tour would immediately allow him to play, likely with a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV event after lifetime bans imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan were eased. Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a high-profile one, benefits the increasingly dominant Tour? This critical question seems partially answered. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported last Friday that Koepka formally applied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership that lapsed after 2022 and to be reinstated.
An eventual suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the close of the 2026 PGA Tour season at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible for the 2027 season, aligning with the PGA Tour’s new schedule compressed to about two dozen $20 million events featuring highly curated limited fields, a perfect return opportunity. This would also appeal to PGA Tour Enterprises investors likely launching this new top league.
\”He may need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” Jon Rahm recently said in the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He’ll probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, especially the majors. If he qualifies or can enter big events, he’d play those too.\” The players’ directors and the Tiger Woods-led competition committee have a say in suspensions, reportedly favoring Koepka’s immediate return, echoing Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to allow him to play. A majority of fans seem to agree, according to a non-representative poll by \”Bunkered\” magazine.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Start for 2026
Bryson DeChambeau officially confirmed his participation in the 2026 LIV Golf League. His Crushers team, including Charles Howell III, Paul Casey, and Anirban Lahiri, will enter their fifth season unchanged. Interestingly, DeChambeau has not announced a general contract extension, speculated to be negotiated behind the scenes to retain him as the league’s most marketable star after Koepka’s departure.