First start at the Farmers, Vijay Singh returns to PGA Tour, and Charley Hull launches her YouTube channel. 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. According to LIV CEO Scott McNeil, they reached an amicable agreement. However, Koepka is a competitor who thrives on top-level competition and hardly found that motivation at LIV. He initially joined LIV in 2022 mainly because injuries made him fear an early end to his career and to secure a good retirement fund. Thus, skipping the last contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain about financial obligations and his ownership status of LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculations abound about where Koepka will play next. He would be immediately eligible for the DP World Tour, possibly paying a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension after his last LIV appearance, following the significant softening of previously lifetime bans by former commissioner Jay Monahan. Why seek revenge when every returning LIV player benefits the established PGA Tour? ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which lapsed after 2022.
Any suspension would expire in August, aligning with the 2026 season conclusion at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible for 2027, coinciding with the PGA Tour’s compressed schedule of nearly two dozen $20 million events featuring limited, top-tier fields—a perfect timing for his comeback. This move would also appeal to the investors of PGA Tour Enterprises likely backing the new premier league.
Jon Rahm recently said in the “Subpar” podcast, \”He may need some time, but I think Koepka will 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 can then qualify or gain entry to high-profile events, he’ll play those as well.\” There’s a possibility of leniency from the PGA Tour’s board, player directors, and competition committee led by Tiger Woods, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to let Koepka play immediately.
Update: The news spread rapidly Monday evening that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and is set to tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. His participation at the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona, is also confirmed.
This was enabled by a newly created rule last Thursday called the \”Returning Member Program,\” allowing select LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour without suspension. In Koepka’s case, his sporting merits were recognized—especially his 2023 PGA Championship win as a fifth major.
The PGA Tour stated the exception applies to major and Players winners from the past three years, with a deadline of February 2. \”This is a one-time, clearly defined opportunity and does not set a precedent for future cases,\” said PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp. This