First start at Farmers, Vijay Singh returns, Charley Hull launching on YouTube soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season, beginning February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will remain connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for his family. This was mutually agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, something LIV has provided only to a limited extent. He initially joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns and to secure a solid retirement fund. Thus, skipping the final contractual season is not surprising, though questions linger about financial details and Koepka’s ownership status of his LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation grows about which tours Koepka will next appear on: the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible, possibly paying a penalty; or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV event, due to softened lifetime bans imposed by former commissioner Jay Monahan. The rationale is clear: welcoming back prominent LIV players benefits the established tours. According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which had not been renewed after 2022.