First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh aiming again, 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will remain connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for family. This mutually friendly agreement was officially announced by LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a competitive type who gets highly motivated and fired up mainly by high-level sporting contests, which he somewhat missed at LIV. He switched in 2022 largely due to injury concerns and to secure a good retirement income. Thus, his waiver of the last contractually obligated season is not surprising, although questions remain about possible buyouts or partial refund of guaranteed payments. He remains the owner of LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation grows on which tour Koepka will appear next: the DP World Tour, where he would immediately be eligible, probably against a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he must serve a one-year suspension since his last LIV participation, after the life bans by former commissioner Jay Monahan were drastically reduced? Why be vindictive if every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one, benefits the more dominant PGA Tour? This key question seems partly answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, not extended after 2022, and to be reinstated as a player.