First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh returns, Charley Hull to launch YouTube channel soon. The Back Nine.
Expected: Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting on February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for his family. This was amicably agreed upon according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a competitive type who gets motivated and fired up only in top-level competitions, something he only partially experienced in LIV. He primarily joined LIV in 2022 due to injury concerns about his career ending soon and to secure a solid retirement fund. Therefore, skipping the final contracted season is not surprising, though questions linger. Did he have to buy out of his contract or return part of his guaranteed paycheck? Does the 35-year-old remain an owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which recently named Talor Gooch as new captain?
Speculations rise about where Koepka will compete next. On the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible to play—likely after a penalty? Or on the PGA Tour, where he must serve a one-year suspension since his last LIV event after former Commissioner Jay Monahan softened life bans drastically? Why hold grudges when every high-profile LIV returnee benefits the dominant tour? This critical question now partly answers: According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which lapsed after 2022, and be reinstated into the player membership.
A possible suspension would end in August. Although the 2026 season concludes with the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30, Koepka would be eligible to compete in 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new schedule, which compresses nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited, top-tier fields—the perfect time for a comeback, fitting Koepka’s style. Investors in PGA Tour Enterprises, likely backing the new top tier, would welcome another star like him.
‘He might need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour,’ recently said Jon Rahm on the \”Subpar\” podcast. ‘He will probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies or gets in those top events, he’ll play those too.’ Perhaps the PGA Tour officials, including the board, player directors, and the Tiger Woods-led competition committee, might be lenient with the five