First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh wants to compete again, 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 The Back Nine.Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will stay connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. LIV CEO Scott McNeil confirmed a friendly agreement, though Koepka is known as a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which he lacked at LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury worries and to secure his retirement funds. Questions remain if Koepka had to buy out or refund part of his guaranteed salary and if he remains owner of his LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculations abound where Koepka will next play: DP World Tour with immediate eligibility possibly needing a penalty, or PGA Tour where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV event, after lifetime bans were eased. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reports Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, after it was not extended post-2022.
An eventual ban would expire in August 2026, coinciding with season end. Koepka would be eligible in 2027 under PGA Tour’s new schedule of about two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited elite fields, an ideal comeback timing. Investors in PGA Tour Enterprises would welcome a star like Koepka. Jon Rahm said on the podcast ‘Subpar’ that Koepka would likely play minimum events and bigger tournaments he likes, with a possibility of easing his ban based on sports directors’ and Tiger Woods-led competition committee’s decisions, supported by Rory McIlroy.
Update: Koepka is now authorized to play immediately on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open end of January in Torrey Pines, with Phoenix Open also confirmed. This is enabled by the new ‘Returning Member Program’ allowing selected LIV players back without suspension, recognizing Koepka’s recent merits including 2023 PGA Championship win. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp described this as a one-time opportunity ending February 2, with no guarantee of recurrence, concerning Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cam Smith. Koepka must pay $5 million to charity and is excluded from 2026 FedEx Cup bonuses and five years from PGA Tour Enterprises’ capital programs as penalty.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Return for 2026
Bryson DeChambeau officially confirmed his participation in the 2026 LIV Golf League, maintaining his Crushers team alongside Charles Howell III, Paul Casey, and Anirban Lahiri into season five. Notably, no general contract extension announced amid speculation about internal negotiations to retain him alongside Koepka as LIV’s prominent figure.
Vijay Singh Returns to PGA Tour at 62
Surprise move: Vijay Singh at age 62 returns to the PGA Tour using a career money list exemption, playing this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Previously dominant on the PGA Tour Champions with five titles including Senior Players Championship, Singh’s comeback garners attention.