First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh still eager, 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will stay connected to the competing circuit but needs more family time, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. However, Koepka is a competitive type, motivated by high-level competition, which he lacked at LIV. Having joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns and for a retirement payout, it is no surprise he skipped his last contracted season, though questions remain about possible buyouts or fee returns. He remains owner of LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation grows on which tours Koepka will join next. Could it be the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible, possibly with a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV event, despite previous lifetime bans being softened. Why hold grudges if a returning LIV star benefits the more powerful PGA Tour? ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.
Any suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27–30. For 2027, Koepka would be eligible to play under the PGA Tour’s new compressed schedule of nearly two dozen $20-million tournaments with limited fields. This timing suits Koepka perfectly and would be welcomed by PGA Tour Enterprises investors, who back the new top league.
Jon Rahm recently said on the \”Subpar\” podcast, \”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour. He’ll probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies for high-profile tournaments or gets invited, he would play those.\” PGA Tour’s Emerging leaders, including player directors and Tiger Woods’ competition committee, may ease his suspension, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to reinstate Koepka immediately.
Update: It happened as expected. Monday evening local time, news spread rapidly that Koepka is reinstated to play immediately on the PGA Tour, with confirmed appearances at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in late January and the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Enabling this is the \”Returning Member Program\”, created last Thursday, allowing selected LIV players to regain PGA Tour membership without suspension. Koepka’s sporting merits from his 2023 PGA Championship win, his fifth major, were key.
The PGA Tour statement said this special rule applies to major winners and Players Champions from the last three years, with a deadline of February 2. CEO Brian Rolapp noted: \”This is a one-time, clearly defined opportunity and not precedent for