First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh aims for a comeback, Charley Hull to launch YouTube channel soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has formally withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner will remain connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. LIV CEO Scott McNeil issued an amicable official statement. Koepka, a competitive type highly motivated by top-level competition, found less motivation at LIV. He had joined LIV in 2022 mainly as he feared his career-ending injury and wanted a solid retirement fund. His decision to skip the final contracted season is not surprising, though questions remain regarding whether he had to buy out his contract or refund part of his guarantee. The 35-year-old remains owner of his LIV team Smash GC, with Talor Gooch as the new captain.
Speculation is rife about Koepka’s next playing field. He would be immediately eligible on the DP World Tour, possibly with a penalty, or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension since his last LIV event, following the significant softening of the earlier lifetime bans imposed by former commissioner Jay Monahan. Why hold grudges when returning LIV players ultimately benefit the better-positioned PGA Tour? ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach reports Koepka filed a formal application last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which had lapsed after 2022.
An eventual suspension would end in August, at which time the 2026 season also finishes with the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible for 2027, coinciding with the PGA Tour’s new schedule compressing nearly two dozen $20 million events with limited elite fields—the perfect timing for his return, appealing to both him and investors at PGA Tour Enterprises, the likely organizers of the new top league.
Jon Rahm recently said on the \”Subpar\” podcast, \”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour. He’ll likely play at least the minimum, the tournaments he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies or gets into high-profile events, he’d play those too.\” Maybe the five-time major winner will get a lenient treatment in Ponte Vedra Beach, as the PGA Tour board, player directors, and Tiger Woods-led competition committee have a say in suspension matters—aligning with Rory McIlroy’s recommendation to let Koepka play immediately. A majority of fans apparently agree, according to a non-representative \”Bunkered\” poll.
Update: The theory became reality: news spread rapidly that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour and will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January at Torrey Pines. He’s also confirmed for the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. This was made possible by a newly introduced \”Returning Member Program\”, allowing select LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour without suspension.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Start for 2026
Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau officially confirmed he will compete in the 2026