First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager to compete again, Charley Hull launching on YouTube soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has opted out of the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will stay connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. This was a mutual agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. However, Koepka is a competitive spirit who thrives in top-level competition, which he only partially found at LIV. He had joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns, thinking his career was ending and seeking a solid retirement fund. Given this, skipping the final contract year is not surprising, though questions remain, such as whether he had to pay to exit or return a part of his guaranteed salary. At 35, he remains the owner of the LIV team Smash GC, with Talor Gooch as its new captain.
Speculation revolves around where Koepka will next play. The DP World Tour grants him immediate eligibility, possibly against a penalty fee, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV appearance after lifetime bans imposed by former commissioner Jay Monahan were largely softened. Why hold grudges when returning LIV players benefit the more established PGA Tour? ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.
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Any suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the close of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would then be eligible to compete in 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new condensed schedule of about two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited, elite fields — a perfect re-entry time fitting Koepka’s style. This move would also please the investors behind PGA Tour Enterprises, likely supporting the new top league, eager to add a strong draw like Koepka.
Jon Rahm recently said in the ‘Subpar’ podcast, \”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour. He’ll probably play at least the minimum, the big tournaments he likes. If he can qualify for or get into high-profile events, he’ll compete in those too.\” The five-time major champion might get some leniency from the PGA board, player directors, and the competition committee led by Tiger Woods, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to allow Koepka to play again immediately.
Update: It happened just so. On Monday evening local time, it spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and will tee off already at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. His participation at the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona, is also confirmed.
This was made possible by a newly created rule called the ‘Returning Member Program