Bryson DeChambeau confirms LIV Golf start in 2026, Vijay Singh aims for another PGA season, and Charley Hull soon hits YouTube. The Back Nine.
Expected? Brooks Koepka has officially opted out of the LIV Golf League for the 2026 season, starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains associated with the competing circuit but needs more family time. This was a friendly agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a competitor who thrives in top-level contests and finds limited motivation in LIV events. He initially joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns and to secure a solid retirement fund. His skip of the final contractual season raises questions: Did he pay a buyout or return part of his guaranteed earnings? Does the 35-year-old still own his LIV team Smash GC, which named Talor Gooch as captain?
Speculation grows over where Koepka will next compete. On the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible, likely facing a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he must serve a one-year suspension after his last LIV appearance, following reduced lifetime bans. After reports by ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Start for 2026
Bryson DeChambeau officially confirmed his participation in LIV Golf in 2026. His Crushers team, including Charles Howell III, Paul Casey, and Anirban Lahiri, will enter their fifth season unchanged. Interestingly, no general contract extension was announced for DeChambeau, leading to speculation on behind-the-scenes agreements to retain the league’s currently most marketable player following 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. The three-time major champion from Fiji utilizes an exemption based on his career earnings ranking and will start this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Singh previously competed on the PGA Tour Champions, winning five titles including the Senior Players Championship.
TGL Struggles With TV Ratings in Season Two
Without Tiger Woods, the Tomorrow’s Golf League struggles to maintain viewer interest. The season two opener on ABC attracted only 646,000 viewers compared to 919,000 viewers for the previous season’s first day aired on ESPN. The second match of the day drew just 354,000 viewers. Woods’s presence in season one was critical for ratings, and the league must find a new star to draw audiences, as Rory McIlroy and Tom Kim have yet to fill Woods’s role.
Charley Hull to Launch Own YouTube Channel
Following Bryson DeChambeau’s example with over three million subscribers, Charley Hull announced her own YouTube channel launch set for summer. The 29-year-old Malbon ambassador from England, known for her flamboyant style, revealed the news on fellow pro Jason Day’s YouTube channel