First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh wants to continue, Charley Hull soon also on YouTube. The Back Nine.Brooks Koepka announced he withdrew from the 2026 LIV Golf League season starting February 7 in Riyadh, choosing instead to focus more on family. The LIV CEO Scott McNeil stated this was a mutual agreement. Koepka, a five-time major champion, is known as a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, something he experienced only limitedly in LIV. He initially joined LIV in 2022 partly due to injury concerns and to secure a solid retirement fund. Questions remain regarding whether he had to buy out his contract or repay part of his guaranteed salary, and if he still owns his LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculations are rife about where Koepka will appear next—either on the DP World Tour, where he could play immediately possibly with a penalty, or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension after his last LIV event, following the significant reduction of lifetime bans previously imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022, aiming to rejoin the player ranks.
An eventual ban would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30. Koepka would be eligible to play in 2027 under the PGA Tour’s newly compressed schedule featuring nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited, top-tier player fields—ideal timing for his return. This return would be welcomed by PGA Tour Enterprises investors backing the new top league.
Jon Rahm recently expressed optimism on the \”Subpar\” podcast that Koepka would return to the PGA Tour, expecting him to play at least some tournaments, especially the majors. The PGA Tour board, player directors, and the competition committee led by Tiger Woods, who have influence over any suspension, may grant Koepka leniency, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to reinstate him immediately.
Update: It happened just like that. On Monday evening local time, news spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible to compete on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines at the end of January. His participation in the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona is also confirmed.
This was enabled by the \”Returning Member Program,\” a new policy introduced last Thursday allowing selected LIV players to regain PGA Tour membership without suspension. Koepka’s recent achievements, especially his 2023 PGA Championship win as his fifth major, were given special consideration.
The PGA Tour statement states that this exception applies to major winners and Players Championship winners from the last three years. The deadline for this program is February 2. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said, \”This is a one-time, clearly defined opportunity and does not set a precedent for future cases. Once this door closes, there is no guarantee this path will be available again.\” This likely causes reflection among players like Jon Rahm