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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will stay connected with the rival circuit but needs more time for family. This was reportedly agreed upon amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitor who is highly motivated by top-level competition, which he found limited at LIV. In 2022, he mainly switched to LIV because injury threatened to end his career early and he wanted to secure a good retirement fund. Therefore, skipping the last contracted season is not surprising, although questions remain if he had to buy out or repay part of his guaranteed fee, and if he retains ownership of his LIV team Smash GC, which appointed Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculation grows about which fairways Koepka will appear on next. The DP World Tour would grant him immediate eligibility — perhaps with a penalty fee? Or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV appearance, after previous lifetime bans imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly eased. There’s no point in being vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a high-profile one, benefits the more powerful tour. This key question now seems partly answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022, to be reinstated as a player.
An eventual suspension would expire in August. The 2026 season also concludes then with the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30. Koepka would be eligible for 2027, coinciding with the PGA Tour’s new compact schedule of nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited, top-tier player fields — the perfect time for a comeback, just how Koepka likes it. PGA Tour Enterprises investors, likely stakeholders in the new top league, would appreciate a prominent name like Koepka returning.
\”He might need some time, but I think he’ll come back to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm recently on 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 gets invitations to high-profile events, he’ll play those too.\” Perhaps those in Ponte Vedra Beach will turn a blind eye for a five-time major winner — the player representatives and competition committee led by Tiger Woods, besides the board, influence suspension decisions — following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to let Koepka play immediately.
Update: It happened just like that. On Monday evening local time, news spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open at the end of January in Torrey Pines. His participation at the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona is also confirmed.
This is made possible by the \”Returning Member Program\” created last Thursday, allowing selected LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour without suspension.<