First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager to return, Charley Hull soon 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for family. This was mutually agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which he found limited in LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 partly due to injury concerns and seeking a secure retirement fund. His skipping the last contracted season is unsurprising, though questions about any buyout or partial refund remain. He remains owner of LIV team Smash GC, recently led by captain Talor Gooch.
Speculation centers on where Koepka will next compete. He is eligible for the DP World Tour immediately, possibly with a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where a one-year suspension after his last LIV appearance applies. However, former life bans have been eased. According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.
An eventual suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the 2026 season’s end at the Tour Championship. Koepka would then be eligible for the PGA Tour’s revamped 2027 schedule featuring roughly two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited top-ranked fields – a perfect reentry phase suited to his ambitions. This would also please PGA Tour Enterprises investors supporting the new premier league.
Jon Rahm recently expressed on the \”Subpar\” podcast, \”He might need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour. He’ll probably play the minimum, focusing on the big events he likes. If he qualifies for other top tournaments, he’d play those too.\” The PGA Tour board, player directors, and Tiger Woods-led competition committee hold say on suspensions and reportedly favor allowing Koepka’s immediate return, backed by Rory McIlroy’s recommendation.
Update: It happened just like that. On Monday evening local time, news spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible for the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines, with confirmed participation for the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.
The \”Returning Member Program,\” introduced last Thursday, permits selected LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour without suspension. Koepka’s sporting merits, notably the 2023 PGA Championship win, were decisive.
The PGA Tour stated this special rule applies to major and Players winners from the last three years and expires February 2. CEO Brian Rolapp stressed this is a one-time opportunity and not precedent. This likely impacts Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Cam Smith, and unsettles LIV Golf.
Koepka’s penalties for crossing to LIV are mild: a $5 million charity donation, exclusion from the 2026 FedEx Cup bonuses, and a five-year ban from the PGA Tour’s equity program linked to PGA Tour Enterprises investments.