First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh wants another go, 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will stay connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for family. This was a friendly agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a competitive type who gets highly motivated only in top-level sporting contests, which he lacked at LIV. He originally joined LIV in 2022 due to injury concerns about ending his career and to secure a substantial retirement fund. Thus, forgoing the last contract year is not surprising, though questions remain such as whether he had to buy out or repay part of his guaranteed pay, and if he remains an owner of the LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculations abound about where Koepka will play next. On the DP World Tour, where he’s eligible immediately—possibly paying a penalty? Or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV start after previous lifetime bans by commissioner Jay Monahan were heavily reduced? It makes no sense to be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one, helps the more powerful tour. This key question seems partly answered. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not extended after 2022.
Any suspension would expire in August at the end of the 2026 season including the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30. Koepka would be eligible in 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new schedule featuring about two dozen $20-million tournaments with limited star-studded fields—a perfect comeback timing. Investors in PGA Tour Enterprises, likely the new top league’s backers, would welcome another big name.
\”He may need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour,\” recently said Jon Rahm on the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He’ll probably play at least the minimum and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies or gets invites to high-profile events, he’ll play those, too.\” Perhaps the PGA Tour will overlook the suspension for the five-time major champion—decisions include the board, player directors, and Tiger Woods-led competition committee—following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to allow Koepka back immediately.
Update: That’s exactly what happened. Monday evening local time, it spread like wildfire that Koepka is immediately eligible for the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open late January in Torrey Pines. The WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona is also confirmed.
Enabled by the \”Returning Member Program\” created last Thursday