First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh is back too, Charley Hull soon on YouTube. Welcome to 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more family time.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 reportedly an amicable agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is known as a competitor who gets highly motivated by top-level sports challenges, something he found limited at LIV. He switched in 2022 mainly because of injury concerns and to secure a solid retirement fund. Thus, forgoing the last contracted season is not surprising, though questions remain about possible buyouts and his ownership status of the LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculations are growing about where Koepka will next play—whether on the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible, likely with a penalty, or on the PGA Tour, where he would serve a one-year suspension following his last LIV appearance after former Commissioner Jay Monahan reduced lifetime bans. An important question seems partially answered. According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022, to rejoin the player roster.
See this post on Instagram