First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh is back too, and Charley Hull soon on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for his family. This was reportedly agreed upon amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. However, Koepka is a competitor who thrives on high-level competition, which he found limited in LIV. Koepka initially joined LIV in 2022 due to injury concerns and to secure a substantial retirement fund. Therefore, skipping the final contracted season is not surprising, though questions remain about contract buyouts or partial paybacks. At 35, he remains an owner of LIV’s Smash GC team, which has appointed Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculation abounds about where Koepka will tee off next — on the DP World Tour, where he would immediately be eligible to play, possibly with a penalty? Or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension following his last LIV event, after former Commissioner Jay Monahan reduced the lifetime bans significantly? Why hold grudges when every LIV returnee, especially a high-profile one, benefits the more powerful PGA Tour? This key question seems partially answered. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022. The application aims to regain his status among the players.
An eventual suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the end of the 2026 season after the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible for 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new compressed schedule of nearly two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited, top-filled fields — the perfect timing for his comeback, matching his competitive spirit. PGA Tour Enterprises’ investors, likely the new top league’s backers, would welcome such a marquee name.
\”He might need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour,\” Jon Rahm said recently on the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He’ll likely play at least the minimum, focusing on big tournaments he likes. If qualified or invited to prestigious events, he would compete in those as well.\” Perhaps the five-time major winner will receive leniency in Ponte Vedra Beach, where alongside the board, the player directors and Tiger Woods-led competition committee hold influence on suspensions. Rory McIlroy has reportedly recommended allowing Koepka back immediately, and most fans agree according to a non-representative \”Bunkered\” survey.
Update: That leniency happened. News spread quickly that Koepka is immediately eligible to compete on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in late January. His participation in the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona is also confirmed. This is enabled by a newly introduced \”Returning Member Program\” allowing select LIV players to regain PGA Tour membership without suspension.