First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh wants to try again, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back nine.
Expected: Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains associated with the rival league but needs more time for family. This was agreed upon amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which LIV hadn’t fully provided. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injuries threatening his career and to secure a solid retirement fund. Thus, skipping his last contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain about possible buyouts or salary repayments. He remains owner of LIV team Smash GC, with Talor Gooch as new captain.
Speculation abounds on which tours Koepka will play next: DP World Tour, where he would have immediate eligibility possibly with a penalty, or PGA Tour, where a one-year suspension applies (softened from previous lifetime bans). According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership post-2022 and rejoin the player pool.
An expected suspension would end in August 2026, coinciding with the Tour Championship. This positions Koepka perfectly for the 2027 PGA Tour season, featuring around two dozen $20 million tournaments with exclusive fields—a fitting comeback for him and an attractive prospect for PGA Tour Enterprises investors backing the new top league.
Jon Rahm recently said on the \”Subpar\” podcast, \”He’ll probably play at least the minimum, mainly the big events he likes. If he qualifies for high-profile tournaments, he’ll play those too.\” The PGA Tour board, player directors, and competition committee led by Tiger Woods hold say on suspensions and reportedly favor lifting Koepka’s ban, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation.
Update: Koepka has been reinstated immediately and will compete at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines, confirmed also for the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona.
This was enabled by the newly created \”Returning Member Program\” allowing selected LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour without suspension, considering Koepka’s 2023 PGA Championship major win.
The PGA Tour states this special provision applies to major and Players Championship winners of the past three years and expires February 2. CEO Brian Rolapp emphasized this is a one-time opportunity without precedent for future cases, signaling impact on players like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau and tension for LIV Golf.
Koepka must donate $5 million to the PGA Tour charity fund, is excluded from the 2026 FedEx Cup bonus pool, and blocked from the next five years’ equity program tied to PGA Tour Enterprises investments.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV 2026 Start
Bryson DeChambeau has officially confirmed his 2026 LIV Golf participation. His Crushers team, including Charles Howell III, Paul Casey, and Anirban Lahiri, enters its fifth season unchanged. No general contract