First start at the Farmers, Vijay Singh returns, and Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season beginning February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family. This was reportedly a mutual friendly agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level challenges and gets fired up at such events, which LIV did not fully provide. He had joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury-shortened career concerns and to secure solid retirement income. Thus, skipping the last contractually required season is not surprising, though questions remain if he had to buy out or return part of his guaranteed salary. He remains the owner of the LIV team Smash GC, which recently appointed Talor Gooch as captain.
Speculation abounds about which fairways Koepka will appear on next. The DP World Tour would grant immediate playing rights, possibly with a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he would serve a one-year suspension following his last LIV event, after former commissioner Jay Monahan softened lifetime bans. Why be vindictive when any prominent LIV returnee bolsters the tour’s position? This key question seems partly answered: According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which lapsed after 2022, and to be reinstated as a player.