BREAKING: Brooks Koepka makes huge LIV Golf announcement amid PGA Tour speculation

Brooks Koepka left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf back in 2022, but he will now move away from the Saudi-backed breakaway league

Brooks Koepka has revealed that he will not play under the LIV Golf banner in 2026. The five-time major championship winner joined the Saudi-backed breakaway league back in 2022 after impressing on the PGA Tour.

A major player on the Smash team, captaining Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak and Graeme McDowell, the 35-year-old has racked up five wins on the LIV circuit over the past three years. However, he will not vie for further titles with LIV in the New Year.

A statement announcing Koepka's departure from LIV read: "“Brooks Koepka will be stepping away from LIV Golf He is deeply grateful to Yasir Al-Rumayyan (the governor of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, (LIV CEO) Scott O’Neil, and the LIV Golf leadership team, his teammates and the fans.

"Family has always guided Brooks’ decisions, and he feels this is the right moment to spend more time at home. Brooks will continue to be a huge supporter of LIV Golf and wishes the league and its players continued success. Brooks remains passionate about the game of golf and will keep fans updated on what’s ahead."

In the wake of his exit, Gooch will now step up as the captain of Smash for 2026. Speaking about the opportunity, the American said: "Looking ahead, I am incredibly honoured and excited to officially take on the Captaincy role for the 2026 season.

"I’m excited and ready to embrace this new leadership and career challenge. I’m eager to build on the competitive standard Brooks established and work with our players to lead this team into this next successful chapter."

As a result of his exit, Koepka becomes the first star to walk away from LIV, and his next move will certainly be subject to speculation - especially with regards to a potential return to the PGA Tour. The prestigious banner has suspended players who take part in LIV Golf events worldwide, with non-members seeing a year-long suspension in total after their last LIV outing.

There will be more to follow on this breaking news story and Mirror Sport will bring you the very latest updates, pictures and video as soon as possible.

Pleasecheck back regularly for updates on this developing story.

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