First start already at Farmers, Vijay Singh eager to compete again, Charley Hull launching YouTube channel soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf League season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. This amicable agreement was officially announced by LIV CEO Scott McNeil. However, Koepka is a competitor who thrives in the heat of top-level contests, something he experienced only to a limited degree at LIV. He switched to the Saudi-backed tour in 2022 while worrying about career-ending injuries and securing his retirement fund. His decision to forgo the last contractually obligated season raises questions: Did he buy out his contract or repay part of his guaranteed salary? Does he remain the owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which recently named Talor Gooch as captain?
Speculation is rife about where Koepka will next tee off. He would be immediately eligible for the DP World Tour, possibly with a penalty fee, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV appearance after previous lifetime bans by former commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly softened. Why hold grudges when notable LIV returnees ultimately benefit the more influential PGA Tour? This key question seems partly answered: according to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership that lapsed after 2022 and be reinstated in the player pool.
Koepka’s possible suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30. He would be eligible for 2027, aligned with the PGA Tour’s new compressed schedule featuring nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with the strongest limited fields—a perfect re-entry timing favored by Koepka. PGA Tour Enterprises investors, likely spearheading the new top-tier league, would welcome such a marquee player.
\”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm