First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh is back in action too, and Charley Hull is launching her own YouTube channel. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially opted out of the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. LIV CEO Scott McNeil stated this was a friendly agreement. However, Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, something he found limited at LIV. In 2022, he joined LIV mainly due to injury concerns jeopardizing his career and to secure a substantial retirement fund. Thus, skipping the final contracted season is understandable, though questions remain about potential payouts or ownership of his LIV team Smash GC, which has named Talor Gooch as captain.
Speculation is rife about where Koepka will play next. He is immediately eligible for the DP World Tour—possibly with a penalty—or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV event, after former Commissioner Jay Monahan softened previously lifetime bans. Why hold grudges when allowing prominent LIV returnees benefits the dominant PGA Tour? ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which he had not renewed after 2022.
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