The LIV Golf Promotions event is only a few days away. As Scott O’Neil & Co. prepare for the arrival of two new stars into their roster, they will also see the departure of a few big names for the 2026 season. And most of the players on this list include some surprising names that surprised everyone by announcing their exit.

We’re here to talk about five of the biggest players who will not be a part of the LIV Golf setup in any capacity in 2026. So let’s get right to it!

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Brooks Koepka

Hours before Christmas Eve, Santa Claus had a mean surprise for the LIV Golf fans. Brooks Koepka announced his early exit from the Saudi-based promotion. The social media team of LIV Golf confirmed that the former Smash GC captain had terminated his contract a year before it was due.

As per reports, Koepka wanted to spend more time with his family and take a break from golf. There had been many rumors that suggested that he was already heading to the PGA Tour in the near future. In fact, Fred Couples had stated that Koepka wanted to come back to the Tour way back in March 2025.

Despite that, most fans expected Brooks Koepka to complete his contract at the end of 2026 before making any moves. They would have been surprised to see him taking an early exit and possibly giving up a part of his earnings. This shows that he is quite eager to return to the PGA Tour. We’ll have to wait and see when it actually happens.

Mito Pereira

Unlike Koepka, Mito Pereira didn’t have the aspirations to go back to the PGA Tour. In fact, his goals for the future didn’t involve golf at all. After traveling the world to play golf, he expressed feeling homesick.

“Today, my main desire is to step away from constant travel, return to Chile, and focus on my personal life. I carry with me unforgettable memories: the three Korn Ferry Tour titles that earned me a place on the PGA Tour; my time on the LIV Tour, where I discovered many destinations and truly enjoyed competing as part of an incredible team, Team Torque; and the honor of representing Chile at the Pan American Games and the Olympic Games.”

He was proud of everything he had already achieved. But at the age of 30, he didn’t desire anything more than to spend time at home. Pereira wanted to return to Chile and be with his family. And so he announced his retirement from golf.

Mito Pereira also received a warm goodbye from LIV Golf as they showed their gratitude towards him. They wrote, “Thanks for the memories, Mito. All the best in your next chapter,” in response to his announcement.

Henrik Stenson

Neither did Henrik Stenson end his contract early, nor did he retire. The 49-year-old fell into the Drop Zone in the last event of the season by 0.38 points. Ironically, it was his teammate, Ian Poulter, who pushed him out of the Open Zone.

It might be a good thing for the Swedish pro, who had been at a crossroads in his career for a while. Since his move to LIV Golf in 2022, he has faced a lot of issues. Apart from consistency in performance, Stenson was also stripped of his Ryder Cup captaincy in 2022.

Now that he is not a LIV Golf pro anymore, Henrik Stenson can go back to the DP World Tour. He can continue playing in Europe and possibly earn the Team Europe captaincy role once again.

Pat Perez

It wasn’t like Pat Perez was playing in LIV Golf anymore. He hadn’t been in action all of 2024. The 49-year-old had joined LIV Golf’s commentary team for this year. However, Perez expressed that he still wanted to continue playing golf.

But it’s not LIV Golf where he wants to compete. Turning 50 in March 2026, the Arizona local wants to play in the Champions Tour instead. He revealed that he wants to join the PGA Tour Seniors Tour from next season. Hence, he has decided to cut ties with LIV Golf this year. Since he has not played in a LIV Golf event for a year, it will be interesting to see when the PGA Tour will lift his suspension to enter the Champions Tour.

Anthony Kim

Anthony Kim’s situation with LIV Golf is much like that of Henrik Stenson. He also got relegated out of the PIF-funder league because of falling into the Drop Zone. However, in Kim’s case, he had very little chance to make it into the Open Zone.

He didn’t represent a team throughout the 2025 season. The 40-year-old was a Wild Card player who acted as a substitute for injured golfers. Yet he was ranked higher than Frederik Kjettrup, who was a full-time player.

However, Kim’s efforts didn’t pay off as he finished six spots away from Open Zone. He might still have a shot at making it into the roster through the LIV Golf Promotions event. But as things stand, Anthony Kim will not be playing in LIV Golf in the 2026 season.