First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh returns, 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family. This was reportedly agreed on amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. However, Koepka is a competitive type who gets highly motivated and fired up only in top-level competition, something he rarely experienced in LIV. He switched to the Saudi circuit in 2022 primarily because he feared an early career end due to injuries and wanted a solid retirement fund. So his waiver of the last contractually required season is not surprising, though questions remain. Did he have to buy out the contract or repay part of the guaranteed fee? Does the 35-year-old still own his LIV team Smash GC, which already named Talor Gooch as the new captain?
Speculations abound about which fairways Koepka will appear on next. At the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible—probably with a penalty? Or on the PGA Tour, where he would have to serve a one-year suspension since his last LIV start, after the former commissioner Jay Monahan softened the lifetime bans significantly? Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one, plays into the hands of the more powerful tour? This key question seems partly answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, last Friday Koepka formally applied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022, to be readmitted to the player ranks.
An eventual ban would expire in August. Although the 2026 season, ending with the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30, would then be almost over, Koepka would be eligible for 2027 when the PGA Tour introduces its new schedule with nearly two dozen $20 million events and elite limited fields. The perfect timing for a comeback, exactly how Koepka likes it. PGA Tour Enterprises investors, likely backing the new top league, would surely appreciate another strong name.
\”He might need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm recently on the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He’ll probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies for or gets into big tournaments, he would play those too.\” And who knows, perhaps the PGA Tour will turn a blind eye for a five-time major winner in Ponte Vedra Beach—the suspension decision involves the board, player directors, and the competition committee led by Tiger Woods, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to let Koepka play immediately.
Update: Exactly so. On Monday night local time, news spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible again for the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines at the end of January. Also confirmed is his participation in the World Golf Championships Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.
This was made possible by a new regulation called the \”Returning Member Program,\” created last Thursday,