First start already at the Farmers; Vijay Singh aims for another run; Charley Hull to launch on YouTube soon. 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will stay connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family. This was a mutually friendly agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. However, Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which he found limited at LIV. He switched to the Saudi-backed league in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns and to secure a substantial retirement payout. His skipping the last contracted season raises questions—did he buy out, return part of his guaranteed pay? He remains owner of LIV team Smash GC, which appointed Talor Gooch as new captain.
The big question is where Koepka will next compete: DP World Tour, where he could play immediately possibly with a penalty, or PGA Tour, where a one-year suspension post his last LIV appearance remains, though previous lifetime bans from former Commissioner Jay Monahan were drastically softened. Why be vindictive when each LIV returnee, especially prominent ones, boosts the PGA Tour’s power? ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reports Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.
Any suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27–30. Koepka would be eligible for 2027, just as the PGA Tour launches a new schedule featuring about two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited elite fields, ideal for his style. PGA Tour Enterprises investors would welcome another high-profile name.
Jon Rahm recently said on the \”Subpar\” podcast, \”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour. He’ll probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones? If he qualifies for top events or gets invitations, he will play those too.\” The competition committee led by Tiger Woods and player directors have a say in suspensions and reportedly support reinstating Koepka per Rory McIlroy’s recommendation.
Update: Koepka has immediately been reinstated to PGA Tour eligibility and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. He is also confirmed for the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona.
This is enabled by a new rule \”Returning Member Program\” created last Thursday allowing select LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour without suspension, with Koepka’s sporting merits—especially the 2023 PGA Championship as his fifth major—taken into account.
The PGA Tour states this special rule applies to major winners and Players Championship victors of the past three years, ending February 2. \”This is a one-time, clearly defined opportunity and is not precedent for the future,\” said CEO Brian Rolapp. This move sends a strong message to Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cam Smith, unsettling for LIV Golf.
Koepka must pay $5