First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh is back, Charley Hull launching a YouTube channel soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting on February 7 in Riyadh. The five-time major winner will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his family, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. However, Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, something he lacks in LIV. His move in 2022 was mainly motivated by injuries and securing a good retirement fund. Questions remain whether he had to buy out or repay part of his guaranteed salary, and if he remains the owner of LIV team Smash GC, which recently appointed Talor Gooch as captain.
Speculation abounds about where Koepka will play next — the DP World Tour, where he would be eligible immediately, possibly with a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension after the last LIV event due to softened lifetime bans by former Commissioner Jay Monahan. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership and be reinstated as a player.
Any suspension would end in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would then be eligible for 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new condensed schedule featuring around two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited fields, an ideal comeback scenario. Jon Rahm recently stated in the \”Subpar\” podcast that Koepka likely will return to the PGA Tour, playing at least minimally and “the big events he likes.” The PGA player directors and Tiger Woods-led competitions committee might waive his suspension, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to allow Koepka back immediately.
Update: The news broke Monday evening that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and will debut at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. His participation at the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale is also confirmed.
This became possible through the \”Returning Member Program,\” a new rule introduced last Thursday allowing select LIV players to regain PGA Tour membership without suspension. Koepka’s sporting merits, notably his 2023 PGA Championship win—the fifth major—were crucial.
The PGA Tour statement says the special rule applies to major and Players’ winners from the past three years and ends February 2. It is a one-time, clearly defined opportunity and not a precedent. The PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp warned this path may not be available again, causing concern for LIV Golf and players like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cam Smith.
Koepka’s penalties are mild: a $5 million donation to PGA Tour charity, exclusion from the 202