After a short break, the various Tours that make up our sport have awoken from their winter hibernation and are now heading into the 2026 season.
This season has a lot to live up to after Rory McIlroy’s Grand Slam success and an extraordinary three days of Ryder Cup excitement in Farmingdale, New York, where Team Europe enjoyed such a historic week.
Thoughts are turning on whether Scotty Scheffler’s dominance continues at the top of the world rankings, or whether the two-time major winner in 2025 has been snubbed by his closest challengers. Maybe a new name will hit the headlines and rise to the top in the next 10 months?
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Tommy Fleetwood says it’s “special” to start the year as closest challenger to Scotty Scheffler and Rory McIlroy in the world rankings
We’ve already seen big talking points after five-time major winner Brooks Koepka left LIV Golf to rejoin the PGA Tour. There are many opinions in various parts of the media and sports – some happy, some not.
New PGA Tour Commissioner Brian Rolap – and his committee in Ponte Vedra, after much deliberation, introduced a new rule called the ‘Returning Member Program’. Being a major champion, Koepka benefited from this rule and will mark his return to Torrey Pines.
Tiger Woods described it as “a win for everyone”. It certainly is for the fans, as Koepka is an elite player and popular with a large percentage of golf followers, but a few of his peers may see it a little differently.
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Tiger Woods says Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour is important to the game, explaining fans want to see the best players compete against each other
The reported $5 million contribution to charity is Koepka’s first, plus no FedExCup or Player Equity bonuses, although the figures cited for potential lost earnings are unrealistic given his star quality.
When LIV Golf began life, those who joined were told that going back would be a dangerous path with severe sanctions, if indeed there was a way back. Courts were visited and many dollars were spent as legal eagles on both sides presented their cases and invoices. That spell caused game breaks.
Fans were annoyed, mostly because the best players didn’t compete side by side as often as they would have liked. The PGA Tour’s response has been to significantly increase already impressive prize pools, introduce Signature Events, some without half-cuts and limited fields.
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Bryson DeChambeau explains his cryptic social media post as John Rahm confirms his commitment to LIV Golf, following Brooks Koepka’s departure
I think we all understood that this was to help them keep their top players from defecting, but two years on, the question is, is it sustainable in the years ahead? Only time will tell.
Intriguing times ahead for men’s golf?
Koepka is a good guy and a good golfer, but I see more breakouts in the coming weeks if he plays the way we know he can.
What if at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego, his first PGA Tour event back, he’s tied for the lead going into the final round? What if he was going up against someone who supported the PGA Tour, like Jordan Spieth?
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Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir discusses why Brooks Koepka has been allowed to return to the PGA Tour, after leaving LIV Golf, under the new returning member program
You’d have at first player Koepka – who reportedly made $150 million in his three and a half years at LIV – joined by Spieth, who has stayed true and only has what he’s won in that time. I’m not sure it will easily fit into human acceptance. Either way, food for thought, and I can see the conversations and mixed opinions continuing throughout the season.
Make no mistake, the PGA Tour has been extremely successful since its inauguration. Charities have benefited to the tune of over $2 billion. The sponsors have been loyal and the prize money has been increasing year after year. The facilities have been improved, as has the television coverage, and their tournaments have been made more spectator-friendly.
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Relive some of the best shots from the PGA Tour this year, with Rory McIlroy, Scotty Scheffler and Keegan Bradley all in attendance
Since the birth of LIV Golf, my personal thoughts have been that there is a place for all three tours, although a merger with the DP World Tour could have been a huge success. The ‘Rest of the World Tour’ in Australia, South Africa, the Far East, the Middle East and Europe – all the places the DP World Tour now visits – with the PGA Tour continuing as we know it.
Who knows what will happen in the next five years, but I believe there was an opportunity to improve this sport, an opportunity that – until now – eluded all powers.
Dubai opens the International Swing on the DP World Tour and it’s currently underway at the Creek Golf Club. A wonderful place to open the season, followed by the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, which has become one of the most recognized tournaments on the world calendar.
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Highlights from the final round of the 2025 Hero Dubai Desert Classic, where Tyrrell Hatton takes an impressive victory
From humble beginnings in 1990, Emirates Golf Club has produced major champions amidst iconic infrastructure. It has been transformed from a desert into a global center of finance, tourism and innovation. The DP world tour has grown together with the United Arab Emirates and their strong relationship will continue for many years to come.
For the first time in I don’t know how many years I’m spending January at home and it seems to me that the rain is always present. With the PGA Tour and DP World Tour now underway, we have a lot to look forward to.
The Players Championship is just two months away, and three weeks after that, we’ll be basking in the springtime splendor of Augusta National and the Masters together. The week this beautiful course lifts our hearts and kicks off your golf season. Azaleas can’t come fast enough!
Watch the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, majors and more exclusively live on Sky Sports 2026. Get Ski Sports or stream without a contract on NOW.