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For the past few months, rumours have swirled that Brooks Koepka is looking for a LIV Golf exit ramp. The assumption was that Koepka might move on when his contract expires at the end of the 2026 season, but new reports now suggest the five-time major winner has already made his last appearance on the Saudi-backed tour.
Sources told Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter that Koepka may not play on the LIV tour in 2026, forfeiting nearly $20 million but remaining eligible to play on the DP World Tour and in the year’s majors thanks to his PGA Championship win 2023. Furthermore, it has been suggested that Koepka may use this gap year to serve a 12-month PGA Tour suspension, potentially rendering him eligible to return to the sport’s (still) premier golf league in August 2026.
In an interview published on Monday, Carpenter asked LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil about the rumours. Here’s what he had to say:
“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.”
This Is by no means a confirmation, but as golf pot-stirrers have been quick to point out, it’s not a denial either. Conventional wisdom suggests that if O’Neil had assurances of Koepka’s return in 2026, he would have used this opportunity to shut the rumours down for good. Part of O’Neil’s role as CEO, however, is to protect his company, shareholders and self against financial devaluation and public embarassment. This could just be a matter of not overcommitting until they cross the T’s and dot the I’s.
Either way, this situation bears watching over the next several weeks. Koepka was one of LIV Golf’s biggest coups when they poached him from the PGA Tour in 2022 to the tune of $100 million. Despite his Wanamaker win at Oak Hill in 2023, Koepka’s form has suffered, posting his first winless LIV season in 2025 while missing the cut at three of the year’s four majors. Though the PGA Tour and LIV Golf battle lines remain hard drawn, golf fans can all agree that no matter where he ends up, a happy, healthy and competitive Brooks Koepka is what’s truly best for the sport.
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Main Image: Andrew Redington
