First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh ready to compete again, 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion stays connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. This was amicably agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitive type who gets highly motivated and fired up only when facing top-level competition – something he experienced only to a limited extent at LIV. He switched in 2022 mainly because he feared his career might end early due to injuries and wanted a good retirement fund. Thus, skipping the last contractually required season is not surprising, though questions remain about possible buyouts or paybacks. Is he still the owner of LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch?
Speculation is rife about which fairways Koepka will appear on next. The DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible—possibly with a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV event after the lifetime bans imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly softened? Why hold grudges when every prominent LIV returnee benefits the established tour? This key question seems partly answered. According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which has not been renewed since 2022.
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Any suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible for 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new compressed schedule featuring about two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited, top-tier fields—the perfect comeback timing. PGA Tour Enterprises investors would surely welcome another strong name.
\”He may need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm recently on the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He’ll probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones? If he can then qualify or participate in top events, he’d play those too.\” Perhaps the five-time major winner will get some leniency at Ponte Vedra Beach, as player directors and Tiger Woods-led competition committee have say on suspensions, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to let Koepka play immediately.
Update: That is exactly what happened. Monday evening local time, news spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. Participation at the WM Phoenix Open in TPC Scottsdale, Arizona, is also confirmed.
This was enabled by a rule named \”Returning