First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh wants to give it another shot, 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for his family. This was reportedly agreed upon amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. However, Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which he lacked at LIV. He originally joined LIV in 2022 due to injury concerns threatening his career and to secure a solid retirement fund. Thus, skipping the final contractual season is unsurprising, though questions remain about buyouts or guarantees. At 35, he still owns the LIV team Smash GC, with Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculation abounds regarding which fairways Koepka will appear on next — the DP World Tour where he would be eligible to play immediately, possibly facing a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV appearance, after lifetime bans were largely reduced by former commissioner Jay Monahan. It makes sense not to be vindictive since any returning LIV player, especially a prominent one, benefits the tour with greater leverage. This major question seems partially answered: according to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not extended post-2022, seeking to rejoin the players’ roster.
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The potential 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, aligning perfectly with the PGA Tour’s new condensed schedule featuring nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited, elite fields — an ideal time for his return. Investors in PGA Tour Enterprises, likely the new top league’s backers, would welcome a high-profile name like his.
\”He may need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” Jon Rahm recently told the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He’ll probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones? If he qualifies or participates in high-profile events, he’ll play those too.\” There’s also a chance the PGA Tour might show leniency towards a five-time major winner — decision power lies with the board, player directors, and the competition committee led by Tiger Woods, who, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation, would allow Koepka to play immediately. This view is also supported by a fan survey conducted by Bunkered magazine, although non-representative.
Update: \”And perhaps the PGA Tour in Ponte Vedra Beach will turn a blind eye to a five-time major winner\” – just so it happened. On the evening the news spread rapidly that Koep