Bryson DeChambeau confirms LIV Golf League start in 2026, Vijay Singh makes a surprising PGA Tour return, and Charley Hull is set to launch her own YouTube channel. The Back Nine.
Expected? Brooks Koepka has officially opted out of the 2026 LIV season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for family, according to a friendly agreement stated by LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is known as a competitor who thrives in top-level competition, which he found limited in LIV. He originally joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns towards the end of his career and to secure a substantial retirement fund, so skipping the last contract year raises questions: Did he have to buy out his contract or return part of the guaranteed money? Does he remain an owner of LIV team Smash GC, which recently appointed Talor Gooch as captain?
Speculations now abound about where Koepka will play next: the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible, possibly for a penalty fee? Or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension following his last LIV appearance after lifetime bans were significantly reduced by former Commissioner Jay Monahan? It makes sense not to be vindictive since every returning LIV player, especially a prominent one, benefits the longer-established tour. This key question seems partly answered: ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported last Friday that Koepka formally applied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022, to regain playing rights.