First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh aims for a comeback, Charley Hull to launch on YouTube soon. 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As expected: Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will stay connected with the rival circuit but needs more family time. The official statement from LIV CEO Scott McNeil says this was mutually agreed. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which he found only limited at LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly because injuries made him anticipate an early end to his career and he wanted a solid retirement fund. So skipping the final contracted season is not surprising, although questions remain: did he buy out of his contract or return part of his guaranteed salary? Is he still owner of the LIV team Smash GC, which named Talor Gooch as new captain?
Speculations abound about where Koepka will next play. On the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible – possibly with a penalty payment? Or back on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV event, after previous lifetime bans imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan were greatly softened? Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one like Koepka, plays into the hands of the Tour which holds more leverage? This key question seems partly answered. According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which wasn’t renewed after 2022, and to be readmitted to the players’ circle.