First start already at the Farmers Insurance Open, Vijay Singh is back, and Charley Hull is launching her YouTube channel. 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As expected, Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major winner remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for his family. LIV CEO Scott McNeil confirmed this was a mutual agreement. Koepka is known as a competitive player who thrives on top-level challenges, something he found limited at LIV. He originally joined LIV in 2022 due to injury concerns about ending his career and to secure a substantial retirement fund. His skipping the last contractual season raises questions: did he buy out the contract or refund part of his guaranteed money? Does the 35-year-old remain an owner of the LIV team Smash GC, which named Talor Gooch as the new captain?
Speculation is rife about where Koepka will play next. The DP World Tour would immediately grant him playing rights, possibly with a penalty. PGA Tour fans wonder about his status there, where he has a one-year suspension to serve due to his last LIV appearance, though lifetime bans imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan have been significantly softened. It seems retaliatory behavior is off the table, especially as every prominent LIV returnee benefits the established tour. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which was not renewed after 2022.
See this post on Instagram
A potential suspension would expire in August, coinciding with the 2026 season’s end at the Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible to play in 2027 under the PGA Tour’s new compressed schedule of about two dozen $20 million events with exclusive fields—a perfect comeback timing. Investors behind PGA Tour Enterprises, likely the new top league’s operators, would surely welcome this high-profile return.
\”He might need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm recently on the podcast \”Subpar.\” \”He’ll probably play the minimum, the events he likes, the big ones. If he qualifies or gets into high-profile events, he’ll take part.\” Additionally, the suspension might be softened or waived