First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh returns, and Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected: Brooks Koepka has officially opted out of the 2026 season of the LIV Golf League starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for his family. This was mutually agreed upon, according to an official statement from LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition and gets fired up for it, something that LIV only partially provided. In 2022, he switched mainly due to injury concerns and to secure a strong retirement fund. Thus, his waiver of the final contractual season is unsurprising, though questions remain about potential buyouts or repayments. At 35, he still owns his LIV team Smash GC, which appointed Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculation is rife about where Koepka will appear next — the DP World Tour where he would be immediately eligible, likely with a fine, or the PGA Tour where he would have to serve a one-year suspension from his last LIV start following the significant softening of the former lifetime bans by ex-commissioner Jay Monahan. Why retaliate when every returning LIV player, especially a prominent one, benefits the already dominant tour? This major question seems partly answered: ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.