First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh is back, and Charley Hull is soon launching on YouTube. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains linked to the rival circuit but needs more family time. This was reportedly agreed upon amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. However, Koepka is known as a competitor who gets highly motivated and energized by top-level competition, which LIV has provided only limitedly. Koepka originally joined LIV in 2022 partly due to injury concerns threatening the end of his career and to secure a strong retirement fund. Thus, skipping the final contractual season is unsurprising, though questions remain about possible buyouts or repayment of guaranteed money. He remains the owner of his LIV team Smash GC, with Talor Gooch now captain.
Speculation abounds about where Koepka will compete next—on the DP World Tour, where he could play immediately, likely with a penalty? Or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension from his last LIV start, after previous lifetime bans imposed by former commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly softened? It makes little sense to be vengeful when any prominent LIV returnee benefits the already dominant Tour. This question seems partially answered: ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reports that Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which ended after 2022, aiming for readmission.