First start already at Farmers, Vijay Singh wants to compete again, 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As expected: Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family. This was amicably agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. But Koepka is a competitor who gets motivated and fired up by high-level competition, which he found limited at LIV. He switched in 2022 mainly because he feared his career might end prematurely due to injuries and wanted to secure a good retirement fund. So his choice not to play the last contracted season is understandable, though questions remain about possible buyouts or repayments. He remains owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which recently appointed Talor Gooch as new captain.
Speculation abounds on which fairways Koepka will appear next: the DP World Tour, where he could play immediately, possibly with a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension after his last LIV appearance, following the significant reduction of the original lifetime bans imposed by former commissioner Jay Monahan? It makes strategic sense not to be vindictive, especially as every prominent LIV returnee benefits the already dominant PGA Tour. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that last Friday, Koepka formally applied to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which was not extended after 2022, to rejoin the player pool.