Bryson DeChambeau confirms LIV start in 2026, Vijay Singh returns at 62, Charley Hull to launch YouTube channel. The Back Nine.
Expected? Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season beginning February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. According to LIV CEO Scott McNeil, this was a friendly agreement. Koepka is a competitive type who gets highly motivated only in top-level competition, something the LIV circuit offers only partially. In 2022, he primarily joined LIV to secure a comfortable retirement fund due to injury concerns threatening his career’s end. Thus, skipping the last contracted season is not surprising, though questions remain about potential buyouts or salary repayments. It also remains unclear if the 35-year-old retains ownership of his LIV team Smash GC, which has named Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculation intensifies about which fairways Koepka might appear on next. The DP World Tour would grant immediate eligibility, possibly with a penalty, or the PGA Tour where he’d face a one-year suspension since his last LIV appearance, after previous lifetime bans were significantly reduced by former Commissioner Jay Monahan. Why be vindictive when every returning LIV player, especially a prominent one, benefits the more powerful tour? This major question seems partly answered. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that last Friday, Koepka formally applied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not extended after 2022, aiming to rejoin the player ranks.
An eventual suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the 2026 PGA Tour season concluding with the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30. Koepka would then be eligible for 2027, when the PGA Tour plans a new schedule of nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with elite limited fields — perfect timing for his comeback. This would also please investors at PGA Tour Enterprises, the likely organizers of the new top league, eager to have another high-profile name.
\”He may need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm recently in the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He will probably at least play the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies or is invited to high-profile events, he would play those as well.\” Perhaps the PGA Tour will be lenient with a five-time major winner — the board, player directors, and competition committee led by Tiger Woods have say in the suspension. Rory McIlroy recommends allowing Koepka to play immediately. A majority of fans agree, according to a non-representative poll by \”Bunkered\” magazine.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Start for 2026
Bryson DeChambeau officially confirmed his participation in the 2026 LIV Golf League. His Crushers team, including Charles Howell III, Paul Casey, and Anirban Lahiri, heads into the fifth season unchanged. Interestingly, DeChambeau has not announced a general contract extension, sparking speculation about behind-the-scenes agreements to retain LIV’s most marketable active player after Ko