First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh returns, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for family. This was reportedly agreed upon amicably, according to an official statement from LIV CEO Scott McNeil. However, Koepka, a highly competitive athlete who thrives in top-level competition, showed only limited motivation in LIV. He primarily joined LIV in 2022 due to injury concerns towards the end of his career and to secure a generous retirement fund. His choice to skip the final contracted season raises questions such as whether he had to buy out his contract or repay part of his guarantee. He remains the owner of LIV team Smash GC, which recently appointed Talor Gooch as captain.
Speculation abounds about which tour Koepka will join next. The DP World Tour would allow immediate play, possibly facing a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension after his last LIV event, following reductions to former Commissioner Jay Monahan’s lifetime bans. Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee benefits the better-leveraged tour? Part of that question seems answered. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reports Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership not extended after 2022.
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