First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh aiming for a comeback, Charley Hull launching on YouTube soon. The Back Nine.
As expected: Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will stay connected to the rival circuit but needs more time for family. This amicable agreement was the official statement from LIV CEO Scott McNeil. But who believes that… Koepka is a competitor who gets highly motivated and fired up only in top-level competition. That was limited at LIV. He had joined LIV in 2022 mainly because he feared his career was ending due to injuries and wanted a solid retirement fund. So his skipping the last contracted season isn’t surprising though questions remain. Did he have to buy out his contract or return part of his guaranteed salary? Is the 35-year-old still owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which has named Talor Gooch the new captain?
Speculations are booming on which fairways Koepka will appear next. On the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible to play – probably with a penalty? Or on the PGA Tour where he would have to serve a one-year suspension since his last LIV event, after the former commissioner Jay Monahan’s lifetime bans were heavily eased? Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a prominent one, plays perfectly into the hands of the long-dominant PGA Tour? This key question now seems partially answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which he had not renewed after 2022, and to be reinstated in the player pool.