First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager for another run, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting on February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will stay connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for his family, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka, a competitive type who thrives in high-level contests, was only moderately motivated at LIV. He had joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns that threatened his career and to secure a solid retirement fund. Thus, his skip of the final contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain about financial settlements and his ownership status of LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation abounds on which fairways Koepka will soon play. The DP World Tour would grant immediate playing rights, possibly with a penalty, while the PGA Tour had imposed a one-year suspension after Koepka’s last LIV appearance, following softened lifetime bans. The PGA Tour reactivation seems underway; ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reports Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his 2022 membership and return as a player.
Any suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the 2026 season’s conclusion at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible to compete in 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new schedule condensed into about two dozen $20 million events featuring limited, well-stacked fields—an ideal comeback timing suited to him and appealing to PGA Tour Enterprises investors who back the new league.
Jon Rahm recently expressed in the \”Subpar\” podcast that Koepka may take some time but is expected to return to the PGA Tour, likely playing at least the minimum and his favored big tournaments. The PGA Tour’s board, player directors, and Tiger Woods-led competition committee, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to reinstate Koepka immediately, hold influence over the suspension terms.
Update: Koepka is now immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines end of January, also confirmed to play the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.
This is enabled by the \”Returning Member Program,\” a new rule allowing select LIV players to regain PGA membership without suspension. Koepka’s recent 2023 PGA Championship victory as a fifth major was a key merit considered.
The PGA Tour states this special rule applies to major and Players championship winners from the past three years, ending February 2. CEO Brian Rolapp called it a one-time, clearly defined opportunity with no guarantee for future similar allowances, making others like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cam Smith take notice, causing concern in LIV Golf.
Koepka must donate $5 million to the PGA Tour charity fund, is excluded from the 2026 FedEx Cup bonus system, and barred for five years from the capital participation program linked to PGA Tour Enterprises investors.