First start set for the Farmers, Vijay Singh returns to PGA Tour, Charley Hull to launch YouTube channel soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has 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 time for his family. This was reportedly agreed upon amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. However, Koepka is known as a competitive athlete who thrives on top-level competition, which he felt was limited in LIV. He originally joined LIV in 2022 due to injury concerns and to secure a substantial retirement sum. Given this context, his skipping the final contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain about any buyout or repayment of guaranteed money. He also remains owner of the LIV team Smash GC, which recently appointed Talor Gooch as captain.
Speculation is rife about where Koepka will compete next. He is immediately eligible to play on the DP World Tour, possibly with a penalty, or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension for his last LIV appearance after previous lifetime bans were softened under former commissioner Jay Monahan. Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one like Koepka, benefits the PGA Tour, which holds the upper hand? ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership and be reinstated as a player after departing in 2022.
An anticipated suspension would end in August, coinciding with the close of the 2026 season at the Tour Championship from August 27–30. Koepka would then be eligible for 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new compressed schedule featuring around two dozen $20 million events with limited elite fields—a perfect comeback timing befitting Koepka’s style. PGA Tour Enterprises investors would surely welcome another marquee name.
\”He may need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” Jon Rahm recently said on the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He’ll probably at least play a minimum, and why not play the tournaments he likes, the big ones? If he qualifies or gets invitations to top events, he would play those too.\” There could be leniency from the PGA Tour regarding Koepka’s suspension, shared by the board, player representatives, and Tiger Woods-led competition committee, following Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to allow Koepka immediate return.
Update: That has come to pass. Monday evening local time, news quickly spread that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour, starting at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. His participation at the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona is also confirmed.
This is made possible by the \”Returning Member Program,\” a new rule established last Thursday allowing select LIV players to regain PGA Tour membership without suspension. In Koepka’s case, his substantial sporting achievements—including the 2023 PGA Championship as his fifth major—were considered.
The PGA Tour statement specifies the special