First start at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager to compete again, Charley Hull soon launching on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially opted out of the 2026 LIV Golf season, which begins on February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his family, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s friendly statement. However, Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, something he felt was limited in LIV. He initially joined LIV in 2022 mainly because of injury concerns and the opportunity for a lucrative retirement fund. Thus, skipping his last contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain about whether he had to buy out of his contract or repay guarantees. He remains owner of LIV’s Smash GC team, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation is rife about which fairways Koepka will next appear on—possibly the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible likely with a fine, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV event after previous lifetime bans were softened. Why be vindictive when LIV returnees serve the established tour’s interests? This key question seems partly answered: ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reports Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022, to rejoin the player pool.
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Koepka’s potential ban would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship. He would be eligible for 2027, aligning with the PGA Tour’s new schedule featuring around two dozen $20-million events with limited top fields—a perfect comeback setting. Even PGA Tour Enterprises investors would welcome another marquee name. Jon Rahm recently shared on the \”Subpar\” podcast, \”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour. He’d probably play at least the minimum and the big events he likes. If he qualifies or gets invites to big tournaments, he’ll play those too.\” The player directors and the Tiger Woods-led competition committee also have a say on suspensions, and Rory McIlroy reportedly supports re-admitting Koepka.
Update: It happened as