First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh wants to compete again, 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his family. This was a friendly agreement according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition and gets fired up, something he only partly experienced at LIV. He initially joined LIV in 2022 mainly because of injury doubts about continuing his career and to secure a substantial retirement fund. Hence, his decision to skip the last contracted season is not surprising, although questions remain, such as whether he had to buy out or return part of his guaranteed salary, and whether he remains the owner of LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation is rife about which fairways Koepka will appear on next. On the DP World Tour where he would immediately be eligible to play, possibly with a penalty? Or on the PGA Tour, where he is serving a one-year suspension since his last LIV event after lifetime bans issued by former Commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly softened? Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one, plays into the hands of the better-positioned PGA Tour? ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership after it was not renewed post-2022 and to be reinstated as a player.