First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh returning, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. This was agreed upon amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeill’s official statement. Koepka is a competitor who gets motivated and fired up mainly by top-level contests, something he experienced only to a limited extent at LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly because he feared his career might be ending due to injury and wanted to secure a solid retirement fund. His skipping of the final contractual season is therefore unsurprising, though questions remain about financial settlements. Does he remain an owner of LIV’s Smash GC team, which has already named Talor Gooch as the new captain?
Speculation is rife about where Koepka will soon appear. Will it be the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible to play, possibly against a penalty fee? Or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV appearance, after lifetime bans from former commissioner Jay Monahan were softened? Why be vindictive when every prominent LIV returnee benefits the established Tours? This critical question seems partially answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership and be reinstated as a player after 2022.
Any potential suspension would end in August, coinciding with the 2026 season finale at the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30. Koepka would then be eligible for 2027, just in time for the PGA Tour’s new condensed schedule featuring about two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited top fields – perfect timing for Koepka’s return. Investors behind PGA Tour Enterprises would surely welcome another big name.
\”He may need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” Jon Rahm recently said on the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He’ll likely play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones? If he qualifies or is invited to high-profile events, he’d play those too.\” Perhaps the PGA Tour will overlook the suspension for the five-time major champ. Alongside the board, player directors and the competition committee led by Tiger Woods have a say, and Rory McIlroy has recommended allowing Koepka back immediately.
Update: It happened exactly as said. On Monday evening local time, news spread fast that Koepka is reinstated immediately for the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines, with confirmed participation at the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.
This is made possible by a new rule created last Thursday named \”Returning Member Program,\” allowing select LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour without suspension.Koepka’s sporting merits were recognized, especially his 2023 PGA Championship victory as his fifth major.
The PGA Tour’s statement says the special provision covers major winners and