First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager to play again, Charley Hull to launch YouTube channel soon. 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh.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 linked to the competing circuit but wants more family time, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. However, Koepka, known as a competitive athlete who thrives in top-level contests, had a mixed experience with LIV. He initially joined LIV in 2022 due to concerns about injury-shortened career and securing a solid retirement fund, making his skipping the last contractual season unsurprising, though questions remain about financial terms and his ownership of LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation abounds about where Koepka will compete next – the DP World Tour where he is likely eligible immediately, possibly with a fine, or the PGA Tour where he faces a one-year suspension following his last LIV appearance after suspensions were softened by former commissioner Jay Monahan. This issue seems partly resolved as ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, ending his hiatus from the player ranks since 2022.
See this post on Instagram
Any suspension would end in August, coinciding with the 2026 season finale Tour Championship from August 27-30. This positions Koepka perfectly for a 2027 PGA Tour comeback aligned with the new schedule featuring nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited elite fields, likely appealing both to Koepka and PGA Tour Enterprises investors. Jon Rahm recently expressed confidence on the \”Subpar\” podcast stating Koepka might ease in, playing minimum events he prefers and top-tier tournaments upon qualification, possibly receiving leniency from the PGA Tour’s suspension review committees including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, who supports Koepka’s immediate return.
Update: It has now happened. On Monday evening local time, news spread quickly that Koepka is immediately eligible to compete on the PGA Tour, confirmed to tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open late January at Torrey Pines and also scheduled for the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.
This was enabled by the new \”Returning Member Program\” rule introduced last Thursday allowing selected LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour without suspension, with Koepka’s recent PGA Championship 2023 victory as a major factor. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp called this a one-time, clearly defined opportunity without precedent or guarantee for future cases, a move likely causing reflection for Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Cam Smith, and tension within LIV Golf.
Ko