First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh returns, Charley Hull to launch YouTube channel soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the LIV Golf League for the 2026 season starting on February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will stay connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for his family. This was a friendly agreement, according to an official statement from LIV CEO Scott McNeil. But Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which he only partly found at LIV. He joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns that threatened his career and to secure a solid retirement fund. Therefore, his waiver of the final contract year is not surprising, although questions remain: Did he buy out of his contract or return some guaranteed money? Does the 35-year-old remain owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which has appointed Talor Gooch as the new captain?
Speculation is rife about where Koepka will play next—on the DP World Tour, which would allow immediate eligibility perhaps with a penalty, or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension following his last LIV appearance after lifetime bans were significantly softened by former commissioner Jay Monahan. Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one, benefits the longer-established tour? This key question seems partly answered. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reports Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which had not been renewed after 2022, and to be reinstated as a player.
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 to play in 2027 when the PGA Tour introduces its streamlined schedule of nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited, top-tier fields, making it the perfect timing for a comeback—ideal for Koepka’s competitive nature. Investors in PGA Tour Enterprises, likely the main body for the new top league, would certainly welcome another strong name.
\”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm recently in 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 is invited to top events, he will play those as well.\” Perhaps the PGA Tour will show leniency to the five-time major champ—approval rights regarding suspensions reside with the board, players’ directors, and the competition committee led by Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy has recommended allowing Koepka to play again immediately.
Update: It happened exactly like this. On Monday evening local time, news spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible to compete on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines at the end of January. Participation in the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale