First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh back in action, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected: Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf League season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his family. This was agreed amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. But Koepka is a competitor who gets motivated and fired up only in high-level sports contests, something he experienced only to a limited degree at LIV. He switched to Saudi Golf in 2022 mainly because he feared his career was ending due to injury and wanted a good retirement fund. So his decision to skip the last contractual season is not surprising, although questions remain about any buyout or partial repayment. Does the 35-year-old remain owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which has already appointed Talor Gooch as new captain?
Speculation blooms especially about which fairways Koepka will soon appear on. The DP World Tour would immediately grant him playing rights—possibly with a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he would have to serve a one-year suspension since his last LIV appearance, after former commissioner Jay Monahan softened lifetime bans substantially? Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one, benefits the stronger established tour? This key question seems partially answered now. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022, and to be reinstated as a tour player.