First start at the Farmers Insurance Open, Vijay Singh is back, and Charley Hull is launching a YouTube channel. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has opted out of the 2026 LIV Golf season starting on February 7 in Riyadh. The five-time major champion plans to stay connected with the competing circuit but needs more family time, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is known as a competitive player who thrives on top-level competition, something he hardly found in LIV. He initially joined LIV in 2022 due to injury concerns, seeking a financial cushion for retirement. Thus, his decision not to play the final contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain about possible buyouts or salary repayments. Koepka remains the owner of his LIV team Smash GC, with Talor Gooch appointed as the new captain.
Speculations abound about which tour Koepka will compete on next. He would be immediately eligible on the DP World Tour, possibly penalized, or on the PGA Tour, where he must serve a one-year suspension following his last LIV event, after former commissioner Jay Monahan eased previously lifetime bans. Why hold grudges when every LIV returnee, especially a star like Koepka, benefits the dominant PGA Tour? ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported that Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.
An eventual suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the 2026 PGA Tour season’s culmination at the Tour Championship. Koepka would be eligible for the new 2027 PGA Tour season featuring about two dozen $20 million events with limited, elite fields — the perfect timing for his return. PGA Tour Enterprises investors would welcome a marquee name like Koepka.
Jon Rahm recently told the ‘Subpar’ podcast, \”He might need some time, but I think he will return to the PGA Tour. He’ll probably play at least the minimum, and why not the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies for high-profile events or can join them, he’ll do those too.\” The PGA Tour’s board, player directors, and Tiger Woods-led competition committee, who have authority over suspensions, may waive Koepka’s penalty following Rory McIlroy’s endorsement and fan support shown in a ‘Bunkered’ magazine poll.
Update: \”And maybe they will overlook the suspension for a five-time major winner in Ponte Vedra Beach\” — that happened. News quickly spread that Koepka is immediately eligible for the PGA Tour and will play at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. He’s also confirmed for the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona. This is enabled by a newly introduced ‘Returning Member Program’ allowing select LIV players to regain PGA Tour membership without suspension.
Koepka’s PGA Tour Membership Renewed with No Suspension
Brooks Koepka has successfully applied to reinstate his PGA Tour membership and will compete in upcoming events, marking a major development for both the player and the PGA Tour’s relationship with LIV Golf.