First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh wants to try again, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for his family. This was mutually agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. However, Koepka is a competitor who gets highly motivated and fired up only in top-level competition, something LIV did not fully provide. In 2022, Koepka joined LIV mainly because he feared his career was over due to injury and wanted a good retirement fund. Skipping the final contract year is not surprising, though questions linger: Did he have to buy out his contract or return part of the guaranteed money? Does the 35-year-old remain owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which has named Talor Gooch as the new captain?
Speculations abound about which fairways Koepka will play next. On the DP World Tour, he would be eligible immediately – possibly with a penalty? Or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV event, after lifetime bans by former commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly softened. But why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one like Koepka, benefits the longer-established tour? This key question seems partially answered: ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed post-2022, and be reinstated to the player pool.
An eventual suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible for 2027 when the PGA Tour introduces a new schedule with about two dozen $20 million tournaments featuring limited elite fields. This is a perfect timing for a comeback, fitting Koepka’s style. The investors at PGA Tour Enterprises, likely running the new top league, would also welcome another strong name.
\”He might need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour,\” Jon Rahm said recently in the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He will probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies or gets into high-profile events, he would play those too.\” Perhaps the five-time major winner will get some leniency in Ponte Vedra Beach – decision power over suspensions lies with the board, player directors, and the competition committee led by Tiger Woods – following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to allow Koepka immediate play. A non-representative fan poll by \”Bunkered\” magazine supports this majority view.
Update: \”And maybe the five-time major winner gets some leeway in Ponte Vedra Beach\” – as it happened. News spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines at the end of January. He is also confirmed for the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona. This was made possible by