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Brooks Koepka, the five-time major champion, has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh, stating he needs more time for his family. The LIV CEO Scott McNeil confirmed it was a mutual agreement. Koepka, known as a competitive player who performs at his best under top-level contests, showed limited motivation in LIV. In 2022, he joined LIV mainly due to injury concerns and to secure retirement funds. Questions remain about the financial terms of his early exit and his ownership status in LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation is rife about where Koepka will play next – the DP World Tour where he is eligible, possibly paying a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension after his last LIV appearance. This suspension was softened from a lifetime ban previously imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan. Recently, according to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership after not renewing it post-2022.
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His suspension would end in August, coinciding with the conclusion of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship. Koepka would then be eligible for the 2027 PGA Tour season featuring a compressed schedule packed with nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments and limited elite fields, perfect for a star like him. PGA Tour Enterprise investors would also welcome his return as a strong draw.
Jon Rahm recently suggested on the \”Subpar\” podcast that Koepka will likely return to the PGA Tour playing at least select big events. The PGA Tour board, player directors, and the competition committee led by Tiger Woods may allow the comeback, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to reinstate Koepka immediately.
Update: It has happened: Koepka is now eligible immediately and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. His participation at the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale is also confirmed. This is made possible by a new rule called the \”Returning Member Program,\” created last Thursday, allowing selected LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour without suspension. Koepka’s sporting merits, including the 2023 PGA Championship win, were a key factor.
The PGA Tour states this exemption applies only to major and Players Championship winners from the past three years, ending February 2. CEO Brian Rolapp called it a one-time opportunity with no guarantee of recurrence, a fact that will concern other LIV players like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cam Smith.
Koepka’s penalty includes a $5 million charity donation, exclusion from the 2026 FedEx Cup bonus and a five-year ban from PGA Tour’s equity program backed by investors.