First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh wants to compete again, Charley Hull soon 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for his family. This was amicably agreed upon according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka is a competitive player who is motivated and fired up mainly in high-level competitions, which he experienced only to a limited extent at LIV. He switched to the Saudi-backed league in 2022 mainly because he feared his career was ending due to injury and sought a substantial retirement income. Thus, his waiver of the last contractual season is not surprising, though questions remain. Did he buy out his contract, repay part of his guaranteed fee? Does the 35-year-old remain owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which has already appointed Talor Gooch as new captain?
Speculation abounds about which fairways Koepka will appear on next. The DP World Tour would grant him immediate playing rights—probably against a penalty? Or the PGA Tour, where he would have to serve a one-year suspension since his last LIV appearance, after the former commissioner Jay Monahan softened lifetime bans significantly? Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially prominent ones, benefits the Tour that now holds most leverage? This key question seems partially answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which was not extended after 2022, and to be reinstated as a player.