First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager to compete again, Charley Hull soon launching on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka officially opted out of the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. This was amicably agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s statement. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, something LIV offered only limitedly. In 2022, he joined LIV mainly due to injury concerns late in his career and to secure a comfortable retirement fund. Thus, skipping the final contractual season is not surprising, but questions remain about whether he had to pay out part of his guaranteed salary and if he remains an owner of LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculations arise about where Koepka will appear next: the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible possibly with a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where a one-year suspension stood since his last LIV event, after previous lifetime bans by former commissioner Jay Monahan were largely softened. Why be vindictive when each returning LIV player strengthens the PGA Tour? This key question seems partially answered. According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not extended after 2022.