It appears that Brooks Koepka may not play on LIV Golf in 2026.
Anyone who has been watching golf for the last few years has wondered what Koepka’s future held. The 5-time major winner was one of the main pieces of the PGA Tour to originally leave for LIV, he won his fifth major after having left, and his future seems uncertain at present time according to a chat the SBJ’s Josh Carpenter had with LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil.
Heading into its fifth season, a handful of LIV’s original players have contracts that are up for renewal. Dustin Johnson announced recently that he had renewed his deal, and Bryson DeChambeau reportedly has been in talks on an extension for his contract that ends after 2026.
Brooks Koepka was one of LIV’s core signees when the league launched in 2022, but Koepka’s deal is up following the 2026 season. At least four golf sources indicated there was a chance he may not play in the upcoming LIV season despite being under contract. Should he not play LIV, Koepka still would have access to each major, as well as the DP World Tour following his win at the 2023 PGA Championship.
Asked if Koepka was playing on LIV in 2026, O’Neil responded: “I know you’re not going to want to hear this one, just the individual players, and this goes back to our policy, we’re just going to run it through. So, we haven’t made any announcements on players, but he is signed for 2026.”
Former LIV players have competed on the PGA Tour after serving a one-year suspension after their final LIV tournament. But those players hadn’t previously had a PGA Tour card like Koepka. Should Koepka fall under the same one-year suspension, he would be eligible for PGA Tour play in late August of 2026. However, it’s still unclear the extent of disciplinary actions Koepka would face should he seek a return.
It is hard to know what any potential endgame is here based on the little details that are known. Koepka will surely want to play in the majors in 2026, but is the eventual plan to return to the PGA Tour? Would that plan involve not playing on LIV in 2026 and just competing in majors then?
There are a number of possibilities, but that O’Neil kept matters vague suggests that there could be something to the story. We will see what comes of it as the winter unfolds.
