First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh eager to compete again, and Charley Hull soon launching her own YouTube channel. The Back Nine.
As expected: Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season, which begins on February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will stay connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for family. This was amicably agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitor who thrives in high-level contests, something he only partially found in LIV Golf. He initially joined LIV in 2022 mainly because injury threatened to end his career and he wanted to secure a good retirement fund. Thus, his skipping the final contracted season is not surprising, though questions remain. Did he buy out his contract or repay part of his guaranteed salary? Is he still an owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which already appointed Talor Gooch as captain?
Speculation abounds about which fairways Koepka will play on next. At the DP World Tour, where he is immediately eligible—perhaps with a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV appearance, after former commissioner Jay Monahan softened lifetime bans? Why be vengeful when every returning LIV player benefits the established tour? This crucial question seems partially answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership that was not extended after 2022, aiming to return to the player ranks.
Any suspension would expire in August. Though the 2026 season, concluding with the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30, will end then, Koepka would be eligible to play in 2027 when the PGA Tour introduces its compressed schedule with nearly two dozen $20-million tournaments featuring limited, fully stacked fields. The perfect timing for a comeback, fitting Koepka’s style. PGA Tour Enterprises investors would certainly welcome another marketable star.
\”He might need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm recently 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 or gets into top events, he’ll play those too.\” Perhaps the five-time major winner will get leniency at Ponte Vedra Beach — membership decisions involve the board, player directors, and the Tiger Woods-led competition committee, reportedly aligning with Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to let Koepka play immediately.
Update: Exactly as expected: On Monday evening local time, news spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible to compete on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. His participation in the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona