First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh wants to give it another go, 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh.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 champion remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family. LIV CEO Scott McNeil confirmed this amicable agreement. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on top-level sports challenges, something he found limited at LIV. He originally joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns and to secure a solid retirement fund. Questions remain whether he had to buy out of his contract or return part of his guaranteed salary. He remains the owner of LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation is growing on which fairways Koepka will appear next — the DP World Tour where he would be instantly eligible, possibly with a penalty, or the PGA Tour where he faces a one-year suspension following his last LIV appearance. However, suspensions have been significantly softened from lifetime bans imposed by former commissioner Jay Monahan. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which had not been renewed after 2022, aiming for readmission.
An eventual suspension would expire by August, just after the 2026 season and Tour Championship conclude. This timing fits perfectly for Koepka’s return in 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new schedule featuring nearly two dozen $20 million events with limited, top-tier fields. This comeback would be appealing to both Koepka and the investors behind PGA Tour Enterprises, the prospective hosts of the new top league.
Jon Rahm recently expressed confidence on the podcast “Subpar” that Koepka will return to the PGA Tour, likely playing selected major events initially. Possibly, the PGA Tour might be lenient with Koepka’s suspension given his five major titles, with input from the board, players directors, and the Tiger Woods-led competition committee, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to welcome Koepka back.
Update: Koepka is now immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and is set to start at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. His participation in the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale is also confirmed.
This is enabled by the recently created \”Returning Member Program\” which allows select LIV players to regain PGA Tour membership without suspension. Koepka qualified due to his strong sporting merits, particularly his 2023 PGA Championship win as his fifth major. The PGA Tour stated this special rule applies only to major winners and Players champions from the past three years, with a deadline of February 2, and is a one-time opportunity, not setting precedent. This development causes reflection among players like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cam Smith, and unrest at LIV Golf.
Koepka’s penalty includes a $5 million donation to the PGA Tour charity fund and exclusion in 2026 from the FedEx Cup bonus and a five-year ban from the capital sharing program of PGA Tour Enterprises.