First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager for a comeback, Charley Hull launching soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season, which begins on February 7 in Riyadh. The five-time major champion remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his family, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka, known for his competitive nature, has struggled to find motivation at LIV events, having originally joined in 2022 due to injury concerns and financial security for retirement. Questions remain whether he had to buy out of his contract or repay part of his guaranteed salary. Despite this, he still owns his LIV team Smash GC, which recently named Talor Gooch as captain.
Speculations abound regarding Koepka’s next playing venues. He is immediately eligible for the DP World Tour, potentially with a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he has a one-year suspension to serve following his last LIV participation after previous lifetime bans were significantly reduced. Why be vindictive when every returning LIV player benefits the established tour, especially a prominent one like Koepka? According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate 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. Koepka would be eligible for 2027, perfectly timed with the PGA Tour’s new schedule featuring about two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited, top-tier fields. This timing suits Koepka’s preferences and would please investors of PGA Tour Enterprises, likely the new league’s backers.
Jon Rahm recently said on the ‘Subpar’ podcast, \”He might need some time, but I think he will 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 big events, he would play those too.\” The competition committee led by Tiger Woods and player directors have influence over suspensions; Rory McIlroy has expressed support for Koepka’s immediate return.
Update: It has happened. As of Monday evening, news spread that Koepka was reinstated to the PGA Tour with immediate effect, set to play at the Farmers Insurance Open end of January in Torrey Pines and confirmed for the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona.
This is enabled by the newly created ‘Returning Member Program’ allowing selected LIV players to regain PGA Tour membership without suspension. Koepka’s recent sports achievements, including the