First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager to compete again, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the competing circuit but needs more family time. This was a mutual agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. However, Koepka is known as a competitor who thrives in top-level competition, something LIV offered limited opportunities for. Having joined LIV in 2022 amid injury concerns and to secure a substantial retirement fund, his decision to skip his final contracted season is understandable, though questions remain about contract buyouts or partial payments. He remains owner of the LIV team Smash GC, with Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculation is rife about where Koepka will next compete: the DP World Tour, where he would likely be eligible immediately, possibly with a penalty; or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension after his last LIV appearance, although lifetime bans imposed by former commissioner Jay Monahan have been significantly softened. The question of revenge seems moot, as every significant LIV returnee only strengthens PGA Tour’s position. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach revealed that Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not extended after 2022, seeking reinstatement.
Koepka’s suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the conclusion of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. He would be eligible to play in 2027 when the PGA Tour plans to launch a compressed schedule of about two dozen $20 million tournaments with elite limited fields, an ideal comeback timing that suits Koepka’s preferences. His return would also be welcomed by PGA Tour Enterprises investors, likely the backers of this new top tier league.
“He might need some time, but I think he’ll come back to the PGA Tour,” Jon Rahm recently said on the podcast ‘Subpar’. “He’ll probably play at least the minimum, and why not the events he likes, the big ones. If he then qualifies or gains entry into top events, he’d play those too.” There’s speculation that the PGA Tour, including player directors and the Tiger Woods-led competition committee, may overlook the suspension for the five-time major winner, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to reinstate Koepka immediately.
Update: It has happened. Monday night local time, news spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible for the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines at the end of January. His participation at the WM Phoenix Open in TPC Scottsdale, Arizona, is also confirmed.