First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh aims for a comeback, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has opted out of 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 apparently a friendly agreement, stated LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, something he rarely found with LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly because of injuries threatening his career and the opportunity for a solid retirement payout. So his decision to skip the last contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain about any buyout or partial guarantee repayment. He remains owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which has named Talor Gooch as captain.
Speculation abounds about which tours Koepka will play on next: the DP World Tour, where he could play immediately perhaps with a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV event, though lifetime bans by former Commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly softened. Why hold grudges when every LIV returnee, especially prominent ones, benefits the more powerful PGA Tour? ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, not renewed after 2022, aiming for readmission.