First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh also seeks a comeback, 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family. This was reportedly agreed upon amicably, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is known as a competitor who gets highly motivated and fired up by top-level competition, which was somewhat limited in LIV. Having joined LIV in 2022 mainly due to injury concerns about ending his career prematurely and securing a solid retirement fund, his waiver of the last contractual season is not surprising, though questions linger. Was there a buyout or repayment of part of his guaranteed salary? Does the 35-year-old remain owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which already named Talor Gooch as new captain?
Speculations abound regarding where Koepka will appear next. On the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible, perhaps paying a penalty? Or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV appearance, after the previously life bans imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan were significantly softened? Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one, plays well into the hands of the more powerful established Tour? This key question seems partly answered. ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reported that last Friday Koepka formally applied to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which lapsed after 2022, seeking reinstatement.