First start at the Farmers, Vijay Singh returns, Charley Hull to launch on YouTube soon. 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family. This was reportedly a mutual agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka, known for being highly motivated in top-level competition, struggled somewhat on LIV. In 2022, he switched to LIV primarily due to injury concerns about ending his career early and to secure a good retirement fund. Thus, his opting out of the final contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain about potential buyouts or partial repayment of guarantees. He retains ownership of LIV’s Smash GC team, which has named Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculation is rife about which tour Koepka will next appear on. While immediately eligible to play on the DP World Tour, likely subject to a penalty, the PGA Tour still enforces a one-year suspension after a player’s last LIV appearance — a suspension significantly reduced from the lifetime bans imposed by former commissioner Jay Monahan. It is strategic not to be vindictive as every LIV returnee ultimately benefits the PGA Tour. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach recently confirmed that Koepka formally applied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership last Friday, aiming to rejoin the player ranks.
Any suspension would expire in August, coinciding approximately with the conclusion of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship held August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible for the 2027 season, which will feature a compressed schedule of nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited elite fields — an ideal comeback moment. This prospect is popular among PGA Tour Enterprises investors, who likely back the new top league.
Jon Rahm recently expressed on the \”Subpar\” podcast, \”He may take a bit of time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour. He’ll probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies or gets into high-profile events, he would play those too.\” Additionally, the five-time major winner might receive some leniency from the PGA Tour’s board, player directors, and the Tiger Woods-led competition committee, especially following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to let Koepka play immediately.
Update: Accordingly, Koepka is now immediately eligible for the PGA Tour and is set to compete at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines, with confirmed participation at the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona. This was enabled by the newly introduced \”Returning Member Program\”, allowing selected LIV players to reinstate PGA Tour membership without suspension, a measure particularly justified by Koepka’s recent 2023 PGA Championship victory as his fifth major.
The PGA Tour stated the rule applies only to major and Players winners from the past