First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh aiming for a comeback, Charley Hull soon launching on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. This was amicably agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitive player who typically thrives in top-level sporting challenges, something he only partially found at LIV. In 2022, he joined LIV mainly because he feared his career was ending due to injury and wanted a substantial retirement fund. Thus, skipping the last contractual season is not surprising, although questions remain about possible buyouts or repayment of guaranteed fees. Koepka, 35, still owns his LIV team Smash GC, which recently appointed Talor Gooch as captain.
Speculation grows about which courses Koepka will play next. He would be immediately eligible on the DP World Tour, possibly with a penalty, or on the PGA Tour, where he would serve a one-year suspension since his last LIV event, following the significant reduction of former Commissioner Jay Monahan’s lifetime bans. Why hold grudges when every prominent LIV returnee benefits the Tour’s stronger position? This key question seems partially answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022, to rejoin the player pool.