First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh is back, Charley Hull to launch YouTube channel soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the LIV Golf League for the 2026 season starting February 7 in Riyadh. The five-time major champion will stay connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for family, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. However, Koepka is known as a competitive player who thrives on high-level competition, which he found limited at LIV. He initially joined LIV in 2022 due to injury concerns about his career and to secure a solid retirement pension. Questions remain whether he had to buy out his contract or repay part of his guaranteed salary. Koepka remains the owner of the LIV team Smash GC, which has named Talor Gooch as its new captain.
Speculation is rife about which fairways Koepka will next appear on—possibly the DP World Tour, where he would be eligible to play immediately, perhaps with a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV event after previous lifetime bans imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan were softened. Why hold grudges when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one, benefits the already dominant PGA Tour? ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that last Friday Koepka formally applied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.