First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager to compete again, Charley Hull soon launching on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will remain connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for family. According to official statements from LIV CEO Scott McNeil, this was a friendly agreement. Koepka is a competitor who thrives in high-level competition, something he experienced only to a limited extent at LIV. In 2022, he joined LIV mainly because he feared his career was ending due to injury and wanted to secure substantial retirement funds. Given this, his skipping the final contracted season is not surprising, though questions remain. Did he buy out his contract or repay part of his guaranteed fee? Is he still the owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which already appointed Talor Gooch as captain?
The main speculation concerns which tour Koepka will appear on next. The DP World Tour allows immediate play, maybe with a penalty fee? Or the PGA Tour, where he must serve a one-year suspension after his last LIV event, after the previously lifetime bans imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly softened? There’s no need for vindictiveness when every LIV returnee benefits the more powerful PGA Tour. This key question seems partially answered. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that last Friday Koepka formally applied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not extended beyond 2022, and to be reinstated as a player.