First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh back in action, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
Predictable: Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the LIV Golf League for the 2026 season, which starts on February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his family. This was reportedly agreed upon amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. However, Koepka is a competitor who gets highly motivated and fired up only through top-level competition, which he found limited in LIV. He had mainly joined LIV in 2022 due to injury concerns that threatened to end his career and to secure a substantial retirement fund. Thus, his skipping the final contracted season is not surprising, though some questions remain. Did he have to buy out his contract or repay part of his guaranteed salary? Does the 35-year-old remain an owner of the LIV team Smash GC, which has already named Talor Gooch as its new captain?
Speculation is intensifying about which fairways Koepka will play next. Will it be the DP World Tour, where he could immediately play – possibly with a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension following his last LIV appearance, after life bans imposed by former commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly softened? Why be vindictive when every returning LIV player, especially a prominent one, benefits the PGA Tour which holds the upper hand? This key question seems partly answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022, and to rejoin the playing membership.
An eventual suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30. Koepka would be eligible for 2027 when the PGA Tour introduces a compressed new schedule of about two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited fields featuring the best players. This timing suits Koepka perfectly and would certainly appeal to investors in PGA Tour Enterprises, likely behind this top league.
\”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” Jon Rahm recently said in the ‘Subpar’ podcast. \”He will probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies for and can enter high-profile events, he’ll play those as well.\” It’s possible the PGA Tour might be lenient with the five-time major winner. The player directors and the competition committee led by Tiger Woods, besides the board, have influence over the suspension and follow Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to let Koepka play again immediately.
Update: Exactly so. On Monday evening local time, news spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour again and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines at the end of January. His participation is also confirmed at the WM Phoenix Open in TPC Scottsdale, Arizona.
This is made possible by the \”Returning Member Program,\” created last Thursday, which