First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh ready for a comeback, Charley Hull launching on YouTube soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has opted out of the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family. This was agreed upon amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. However, Koepka is a competitor who gets highly motivated and fired up by top-level competition, something he found limited at LIV. He initially joined LIV in 2022 mainly because he feared his career was ending prematurely due to injuries and wanted to secure a substantial retirement fund. Thus, skipping his last contract year is not surprising, though questions remain about buyouts or refunding part of his guarantee. Does the 35-year-old remain owner of LIV team Smash GC, which has appointed Talor Gooch as the new captain?
Speculation is rampant about where Koepka will next tee it up. The DP World Tour would grant him immediate eligibility, possibly with a penalty fee, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension following his last LIV event after previous lifetime bans were significantly softened. Why be vindictive when every returning LIV player, especially a star like Koepka, benefits the stronger tour? This core question is partly answered now. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reports Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022, hoping to regain player status.
An eventual suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship (August 27-30). That timing would make Koepka eligible for 2027, precisely when the PGA Tour launches a new compressed schedule featuring nearly two dozen $20 million events with limited, top-tier fields—ideal for a comeback by Koepka’s standards. Investors behind PGA Tour Enterprises, likely the new top league’s proprietors, would welcome another marketable name.
\”He may need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm recently on the podcast \”Subpar.\” \”I’d say he’ll probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones? If he qualifies or can play in top events, he would play those too.\” Perhaps for a five-time major champion, leniency on the suspension comes from the player board and the competition committee led by Tiger Woods, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to allow Koepka immediate play.
Update: This is exactly what happened. Monday evening local time, news spread rapidly that Koepka was immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and would tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. His participation at the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona is also confirmed.
Made possible by the \”Returning Member Program,\” established last Thursday, which allows select LIV players to regain PGA Tour membership without suspension. Koepka’s sporting achievements, especially his 2023 PGA Championship win as his fifth major, were considered.