First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh ready to compete again, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more family time. This was agreed upon amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitive type, motivated by top-level competition, something he felt only to a limited extent at LIV. He had switched in 2022 mainly because of injury concerns and to secure a solid retirement fund. Thus, skipping the last contracted season is not surprising, although questions remain about any buyout or repayment. Does the 35-year-old remain owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which recently named Talor Gooch its new captain?
Speculations are rife about where Koepka will play next. On the DP World Tour, where he’s immediately eligible likely with a penalty fee, or on the PGA Tour, where he would serve a one-year suspension after his last LIV event, following the severe reduction of lifetime bans imposed by former commissioner Jay Monahan. Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a star, benefits the more dominant tour? This important question seems partially answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not extended after 2022, to be reinstated among the players.
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Any suspension would end in August, aligning with the 2026 season conclusion at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible for 2027 when the PGA Tour introduces its compressed schedule of nearly two dozen $20 million events with limited, top-ranked fields — an ideal reentry timing. Investors in PGA Tour Enterprises, expected to back the new top league, would welcome such a high-profile name.
\”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm recently on the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He’ll likely play the minimum and the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies for other high-profile events, he would play those too.\” Perhaps the five-time major winner will get leniency on his suspension; the PGA Tour board, player directors, and Tiger Woods-led competition committee have a say, and Rory McIlroy recommends allowing Koepka to play immediately.
Update: It happened just like that. Monday evening local time, news spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour, with confirmed starts at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines and the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.
This is made possible by the \”Returning Member Program,\” a new rule introduced the prior Thursday allowing selected LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour membership without