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 officially opted out of the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family. This was amicably agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s statement. But Koepka is a competitor who thrives on top-level competition, something he only partly found with LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 primarily because injuries had him fearing the end of his career and he wanted a good retirement fund. So skipping the last contractually obligated season isn’t surprising, though questions remain: Did he buy out his contract or repay part of his guaranteed salary? Is he still an owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which recently named Talor Gooch as captain?
Speculation is rampant where Koepka will next appear. On the DP World Tour, where he’d likely be immediately eligible (possibly paying a penalty), or on the PGA Tour, where he must serve a one-year suspension after his last LIV appearance, following a significant reduction of the lifetime bans initially imposed by former commissioner Jay Monahan? It makes little sense to be vengeful when every LIV returnee plays into the hands of the PGA Tour, which holds the upper hand. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that last Friday Koepka formally applied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which he had not renewed after 2022, to rejoin the playing field.