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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the competing circuit but needs more family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 known as a competitor who gets motivated and fired up in high-level competition, which he found limited in LIV. He initially joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns threatening his career’s end and to secure a substantial retirement fund. Thus, skipping the last contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain about buyouts or salary repayments. He remains the owner of LIV team Smash GC, which recently appointed Talor Gooch as captain.
Speculation is rife about which fairways Koepka will play on next — the DP World Tour where he would be eligible immediately, possibly with a fine, or the PGA Tour where he’s facing a one-year suspension since his last LIV appearance, following the significant softening of former commissioner Jay Monahan’s lifetime bans. There seems to be partial clarity now. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reports that Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which he had not renewed since 2022, asking to be reinstated as a player.