First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager for a comeback, Charley Hull launching her YouTube channel 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. This was an amicable decision, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. However, Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which he found only conditionally in LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 primarily because injuries threatened to end his career, and he sought a solid retirement fund. Therefore, skipping the last contractual playing season is not surprising, though questions remain about financial settlements and ownership of his LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation is rife about which tours Koepka will play on next. He is immediately eligible for the DP World Tour, possibly with a penalty. On the PGA Tour, he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV appearance, though lifetime bans imposed by ex-Commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly softened. Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee benefits the dominant PGA Tour? According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, ending his absence since 2022.
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Any suspension would end in August, coinciding with the 2026 season finale at the Tour Championship August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible for 2027 when the PGA Tour launches its compressed schedule with nearly two dozen $20 million events featuring limited, top-tier fields