First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh returns, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will stay connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. LIV CEO Scott McNeil confirmed it was a friendly agreement. However, Koepka, known as a highly competitive athlete who thrives in top-level contests, had limited motivation in the LIV Tour. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns and to secure a solid retirement fund. His decision to skip his final contractual season raised questions about buyouts or repayments. It remains unclear if he will keep ownership of his LIV team Smash GC, which already appointed Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculation revolves around where Koepka will next compete — on the DP World Tour, where he could play immediately likely with a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he’d serve a one-year suspension stemming from his last LIV event after previous lifetime bans were softened. Why hold grudges when every prominent LIV returnee benefits the PGA Tour’s stronger position? According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which had lapsed after 2022.