First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh aims for a comeback, Charley Hull launching her own YouTube channel soon. The Back Nine.Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf season starting in Riyadh on February 7; the five-time major winner remains connected to the rival circuit but needs more family time. This was a friendly agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil’s official statement. Koepka, known for thriving in high-level competition, was less motivated in LIV and had joined the Saudi-backed league in 2022 partly due to injury concerns and to secure his retirement funds. Questions remain whether he had to buy out or refund part of his guaranteed earnings and if he remains an owner of the LIV team Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch. Speculation grows about where Koepka will play next — the DP World Tour, likely with penalties, or the PGA Tour, where he would serve a one-year suspension after his last LIV event, now mitigated from a lifetime ban. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership after not renewing it post-2022.
Any suspension would end in August, coinciding with the 2026 season finale at the Tour Championship. Koepka would be eligible for 2027 when the PGA Tour launches a revamped schedule featuring around 20 million-dollar events with select fields — an ideal return fit for his competitive nature. Investors in PGA Tour Enterprises would welcome such a star. Jon Rahm recently expressed confidence that Koepka will return to the PGA Tour, likely playing minimum required events and preferred majors, with potential exceptions made by the board, player directors, and Tiger Woods-led competition committee, following Rory McIlroy’s endorsement of immediate reinstatement. An update confirms Koepka’s immediate eligibility and plans to compete in the Farmers Insurance Open and WM Phoenix Open. This is enabled by the new ‘Returning Member Program,’ granting select LIV players reinstatement without suspension based on recent major wins including Koepka’s 2023 PGA Championship victory. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp called this a one-time, clearly-defined opportunity ending February 2, signaling no guarantee for similar future cases. Koepka’s penalties include a $5 million charity donation, exclusion from the 2026 FedEx Cup bonus and a five-year ban from the capital investment program.
DeChambeau Confirms LIV Start for 2026
Bryson DeChambeau has officially confirmed he will compete in the 2026 LIV Golf League with his Crushers team of Charles Howell III, Paul Casey, and Anirban Lahiri, continuing into season five. Interestingly, no new long-term contract was announced, leaving room for speculation behind the scenes about retaining this high-profile LIV star following Koepka’s exit.
Vijay Singh: PGA Tour Comeback at 62
In a surprising move, three-time major winner Vijay Singh returns to the PGA Tour at age 62. Utilizing an exemption tied to his career earnings ranking, Singh starts this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Previously, Singh competed successfully on the PGA Tour Champions, claiming five titles including the Senior Players Championship.