First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh ready to compete again, Charley Hull to launch YouTube channel soon. The Back Nine.
It was expected: Brooks Koepka has officially opted out of the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will remain associated with the rival circuit but needs more time for family. This amicable agreement was stated by LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is known as a competitor who thrives on high-level competitions, something he found limited in LIV. He had switched in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns and to secure retirement funds. Therefore, skipping the last contract year is not surprising, though questions remain about financial settlements and ownership of his LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculations grow about which tours Koepka will appear on next. DP World Tour eligibility would be immediate, possibly with penalties, or PGA Tour, where a one-year suspension remains from his last LIV appearance, though lifetime bans from former commissioner Jay Monahan have been eased. The PGA Tour now partially answers this question: according to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership that was not renewed after 2022.
Any suspension would expire in August 2026, which ends concurrently with the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible for the 2027 season under the PGA Tour’s compressed schedule featuring