First start already at the Farmers; Vijay Singh returns to PGA Tour; Charley Hull launching YouTube channel. 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for his family. This mutual agreement was confirmed by LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka, a competitor at heart, thrives on high-level competition, which he found limited at LIV. He primarily joined LIV Golf in 2022 due to injury concerns near the end of his career and to secure a substantial retirement fund. Thus, his skipping the final contracted season is not surprising, although questions remain about potential buyouts or repayments. He also remains the owner of LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch.
Speculation surrounds which tours Koepka will compete on next. He would be immediately eligible for the DP World Tour, possibly facing a penalty, or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension after his last LIV appearance. However, previous lifetime bans have been softened, especially with prominent LIV returnees benefiting the PGA Tour, which holds more influence. According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.
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Any suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27 to 30. Koepka would then be eligible for 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new condensed schedule featuring nearly two dozen $20 million events with limited elite fields, an ideal time for his comeback. This would also benefit PGA Tour Enterprises’ investors, who support the new top-tier league.
Jon Rahm recently said in the ‘Subpar’ podcast, \”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour. He’ll likely play at least the minimum, the big tournaments he likes. If he qualifies or is invited to more, he’ll play those too.\” With the competitive committee led by Tiger Woods and recommendations from Rory McIlroy, Koepka may receive leniency regarding his suspension.
Update: Koepka is now officially PGA Tour eligible immediately and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. His participation at the WM Phoenix Open in Arizona is also confirmed. This is enabled by the newly introduced ‘Returning Member Program’ allowing select LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour without suspensions, considering Koepka’s recent achievements, including the 2023