First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh aiming for a comeback, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf League season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is known as a competitive player who thrives in high-level competition, which he found limited in LIV. He switched in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns and to secure a solid retirement fund, so skipping the final contract year is unsurprising, though questions remain about financial settlements and his ownership of the LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculations abound regarding which fairways Koepka will play next. Will he compete on the DP World Tour where immediate eligibility is possible, likely with a penalty? Or return to the PGA Tour where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV event, after previously life-long bans by former Commissioner Jay Monahan were softened? According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership and rejoin the player pool.
An eventual suspension would end in August, coinciding with the 2026 season finale at the Tour Championship. Koepka would be eligible for 2027 when the PGA Tour launches its compressed schedule featuring about two dozen $20 million tournaments with best-field lineups, a timing aligned with his preferences. This return would also appeal to PGA Tour Enterprises investors backing the new top-tier league. Jon Rahm recently stated in the \”Subpar\” podcast, \”He needs some time but I think he will return to the PGA Tour. He will likely play the minimum and then the big events he likes.\” The PGA Tour board, player directors, and the Tiger Woods-led competition committee hold sway over suspensions; Rory McIlroy favors readmitting Koepka immediately.
Update: It happened as predicted. News broke Monday evening that Koepka is immediately eligible again on the PGA Tour, with confirmed entry in the Farmers Insurance Open late January at Torrey Pines and the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale already confirmed. This was enabled by the \”Returning Member Program\” rule created last Thursday allowing select LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour without suspension, acknowledging Koepka’s recent sporting merits, including the 2023 PGA Championship as his fifth major.
The PGA Tour clarified the provision applies only to major winners and Players Champions from the last three years, with a deadline of February 2. CEO Brian Rolapp called it a one-time clearly defined opportunity without future guarantee, a message likely to influence Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cam Smith, and causing discomfort within LIV Golf.
Koepka’s penalty for defecting from LIV is mild: a $5 million donation to PGA Tour charity, exclusion from the 2026 FedEx Cup bonus system, and a 5-year ban from the PGA Tour capital participation program linked to PGA Tour Enterprises investors.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Start for 2026
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