First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh also ready to compete again, 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his family. This was amicably agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on top-level sporting challenges, something he was less motivated by in LIV. He moved to LIV in 2022 mainly because of injury concerns ending his career and to secure a good retirement payout. Thus, skipping the last contractual playing season is not surprising, although questions remain about whether he had to buy out or return part of his guaranteed salary. He remains owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which recently appointed Talor Gooch as its new captain.
Speculation is rife about which tours Koepka will appear in next. On the DP World Tour, he would be immediately eligible, likely against a penalty fee. Or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV start, after lifetime bans imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly softened. Why retaliate, when any LIV returnee, especially a high-profile one, benefits the increasingly dominant PGA Tour? This key question seems partially answered. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported Koepka formally requested last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which had lapsed after 2022, to rejoin the playing field.