Bryson DeChambeau confirms LIV start in 2026, Vijay Singh returns to PGA Tour at 62, and Charley Hull announces upcoming YouTube channel. 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 champion remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more family time, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is known as a competitive player who thrives on high-level competition, something he found limited in LIV. Having joined LIV in 2022 largely due to injury concerns late in his career, his decision to skip the contractual final season raises questions about contract buyouts and ownership stakes, especially since he owns the LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation abounds on where Koepka will compete next: the DP World Tour, where he would be eligible to play immediately, possibly paying a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV event. Those lifetime bans handed down by former Commissioner Jay Monahan have since been softened substantially. According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his previously non-renewed PGA Tour membership and be reinstated to the player roster.
Koepka Reapplies for PGA Tour Membership
The potential suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30. This timing would allow Koepka to be eligible for the PGA Tour’s revamped 2027 schedule featuring nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited elite fields — an ideal moment for his comeback. The investors behind PGA Tour Enterprises, likely the new top league’s operator, would welcome adding a high-profile player like Koepka.
“He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,” Jon Rahm recently said 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 or is invited to high-profile events, he will play those too.” Moreover, the player board, competition committee led by Tiger Woods, and even Rory McIlroy — who recommends allowing Koepka back immediately — have influence over such suspensions. A majority of fans reportedly support Koepka’s return, according to a non-representative poll by Bunkered magazine.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Start for 2026
Bryson DeChambeau has officially confirmed he will compete in the LIV Golf League in 2026. His Crushers team, including Charles Howell III, Paul Casey, and Anirban Lahiri, remains unchanged entering the league’s fifth season. Interestingly, DeChambeau has not announced a general contract extension, raising speculation about behind-the-scenes agreements to retain LIV’s current marketing star after Koepka’s exit.
Vijay Singh Returns to PGA Tour at 62
In a surprising move, three-time