First start at the Farmers, Vijay Singh back in action, Charley Hull launching on YouTube soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has opted out of the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka, a fierce competitor thriving on top-level competition, has had a limited spark with LIV. In 2022, he switched mainly due to injury concerns and to secure a solid retirement fund, making his decision to forgo the last contractual season unsurprising. Questions remain if he bought out or repaid any guaranteed salary portion and if he still owns the LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation surrounds which fairways Koepka will join next. The DP World Tour could grant him immediate playing rights, possibly with penalties, or PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV appearance, softened from previous lifetime bans under former Commissioner Jay Monahan. Returning to the PGA Tour, where LIV returnees benefit the established circuit, seems plausible. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, discontinued after 2022, to rejoin the player pool.
An awaiting suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the 2026 season’s end at the Tour Championship August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible in 2027 when the PGA Tour launches a new schedule featuring around two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited, top-tier fields—an ideal return moment suiting Koepka’s style. PGA Tour Enterprises investors would welcome another marquee name.
Jon Rahm told the \”Subpar\” podcast that Koepka might need time but will likely return to the PGA Tour, playing at least minimum events and bigger tournaments he prefers, with chances to compete in elite fields. The PGA Tour’s board, player directors, and Tiger Woods-led competition committee hold suspension discretion and reportedly support Koepka’s immediate reinstatement following Rory McIlroy’s endorsement.
Update: Koepka is now immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines, also confirmed for the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona.
This is enabled by the \”Returning Member Program,\” enacted last Thursday, allowing select LIV golfers to regain PGA Tour membership without suspension, considering recent sporting achievements like Koepka’s 2023 PGA Championship win.
The PGA Tour states this special rule applies to major winners and Players Championship victors of the past three years, expiring February 2. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp called it a one-time, clearly defined opportunity with no guarantee of recurrence, signaling implications for players like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cam Smith, and causing unease in LIV Golf.
Koepka’s penalty is mild: a $5 million charity donation to the PGA Tour, exclusion from the 202