First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh ready to compete again, Charley Hull 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh.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 champion remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for his family. This was reportedly a friendly agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is known as a competitor who thrives in high-level competition, which he found limited in LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns and securing a comfortable retirement fund. Thus, skipping the final contracted season comes as no surprise, though questions remain about financial arrangements and his ownership status of LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation abounds about which fairways Koepka will play next — the DP World Tour where he would be eligible immediately, possibly with a penalty, or the PGA Tour where he faces a one-year suspension following his last LIV appearance, after previous lifetime bans were greatly softened. Why hold grudges when every LIV returnee, especially a high-profile one, benefits the already dominant PGA Tour? This question seems partially answered. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which had not been renewed after 2022.