First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh returns, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will remain connected to the competing circuit but needs more family time. This was amicably agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. However, Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which he somewhat lacked in LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly because he feared his career was ending early due to injuries and sought a solid retirement fund. So, skipping the last contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain about whether he had to buy out or refund part of his guaranteed fee, and if he still owns his LIV team Smash GC, which has already named Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculations are rife about which tours Koepka will play on next. The DP World Tour grants immediate eligibility, possibly with a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he would sit out a one-year suspension since his last LIV appearance after the lifetime bans by former Commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly relaxed. Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one, benefits the dominant PGA Tour? This question seems partly answered: According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not extended after 2022, and to be reinstated as a player.