First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager to compete again, Charley Hull soon launching on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season beginning on February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for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 known as a competitor who is highly motivated and fired up only during top-level competition, which he found limited in LIV. He switched to the Saudi-backed tour in 2022 mainly because he feared his career was ending due to injuries and wanted a solid retirement fortune. Thus, it is not surprising that he skipped the final contractual season, although questions remain. Did he buy out his contract or repay part of the guaranteed salary? Does the 35-year-old remain owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which has already appointed Talor Gooch as the new captain?
Speculation arises about where Koepka will next compete. The DP World Tour would grant immediate playing rights – possibly with a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he must serve a one-year suspension since his last LIV start, following the significant weakening of former Commissioner Jay Monahan’s lifetime bans? Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one, plays into the hands of the tour still holding the upper hand? This key question seems partly answered. According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022, and to regain playing privileges.
Any suspension would expire in August, which also concludes the 2026 season with the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30. But Koepka would be eligible for 2027, when the PGA Tour launches its compressed schedule with nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments featuring limited fields of top players. The perfect time for a comeback, fitting Koepka’s style. Investors in PGA Tour Enterprises, likely the backers of the new top league, would welcome another star name.
\”He may need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” Jon Rahm recently said 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 for high-profile events or meets the criteria, he would also play those.\” Perhaps the five-time major winner will get leniency in Ponte Vedra Beach, where the board, player directors, and the competition committee led by Tiger Woods have a say on suspensions. Rory McIlroy has already recommended Koepka be allowed to play immediately.
Update: That is exactly what happened. On Monday evening local time, news spread like wildfire that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. His participation at the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona, is already confirmed.
This was made possible by a new rule created last