First start at the Farmers, Vijay Singh ready to compete again, Charley Hull launching her own YouTube channel soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the 2026 LIV Golf League season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains connected to the competing circuit but wants more family time. This was reportedly a mutual agreement, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is known as a competitor who thrives on high-level contests, which he found limited on LIV. In 2022, he joined LIV primarily because of injury issues that threatened his career’s end and to secure a good retirement fund. Hence, skipping the last contractually obligated season is understandable, although questions remain about buyouts or salary repayments. It’s also uncertain if the 35-year-old remains an owner of his LIV team Smash GC, which has already appointed Talor Gooch as its new captain.
Speculation abounds about where Koepka will tee off next. He would be immediately eligible on the DP World Tour, possibly with a fine, or on the PGA Tour, where he faces a one-year suspension after his last LIV appearance, following a significant softening of lifetime bans initially imposed by former Commissioner Jay Monahan. Why be vindictive when every returning LIV player, especially a prominent one, benefits the stronger tour? This key question has been partly answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reinstate his PGA Tour membership, which was not extended after 2022, aiming to regain his player status.
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Any suspension would end in August, coinciding with the season finale Tour Championship from August 27-30. Koepka would be eligible for 2027, just as the PGA Tour launches a compressed schedule of about two dozen $20 million tournaments with limited, top-tier fields—a perfect re-entry moment suited to Koepka’s preferences. PGA Tour Enterprises investors, likely backing the new top league, would welcome another marquee name.
\”He may need some time, but I think he’ll return to the PGA Tour,\” said Jon Rahm recently on the \”Subpar\” podcast. \”He’ll likely play the minimum, I guess, focusing on the big tournaments he likes. If he qualifies for or can join top-tier events, he’ll play those too.\” There’s speculation the five-time major winner might receive leniency in Ponte Vedra Beach, as player directors and the Tiger Woods-led competition committee influence suspension decisions. Rory McIlroy recommended Koepka be allowed to play immediately, a view seemingly shared by many fans according to non-representative surveys by \”Bunkered\” magazine.
Update: \”And perhaps the five-time major winner got a pass in Ponte Vedra Beach\”—it happened just like that. News spread quickly that Koepka is immediately eligible to play on the PGA Tour. He will tee off at the Farmers Insurance Open in