Leave official awards to the league and its governing body. PGA Tour Player of the Year? That was Scottie Scheffler. Sportsman of the Year? It could be Rory McIlroy. This is similar to the NFL Player of the Year vs. Offensive Player of the Year debate, but it doesn’t make much sense. Rookie of the year? Yes, it was Aldrich Potgieter.
While these awards serve a purpose, these fascinating athletes deserve an even more unique honor. After all, they are fascinating players who play an interesting game. These are not the best high school accomplishments (biggest smile, most likely to be president, most athletic), but rather a select list of golf accomplishments in odd-numbered years.
Following 2024, when Scheffler won basically every tournament of note, the players in the ropes seemed a little more nervous this year. The PGA Tour has tightened its belt with fewer opportunities and fewer full-time members, and some are starting to feel the effects.
At PGA West, letters were written, meetings were held, cell phones were snatched, and even a 13 was written in pencil on the scorecard. Oh yeah, some players went to the White House trying to end golf’s civil war. (Spoiler alert: This is still a work in progress.)
All this happened before the calendar changed to April. From there, golf largely took center stage, thanks to McIlroy’s Masters win, Scheffler’s great play at the PGA Championship and British Open, and other feel-good wins by players like Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and JJ Spaun.
But let’s not forget the late-game rules decisions at the U.S. Open or the mud ball and driver tests at the PGA Championship. The envelope rule was used in the Ryder Cup and, of course, in karaoke.
So, as legendary rapper Eminem (and perhaps PGA President Don Rea) once said, “You better get into the music, the moment. It’s yours. You better never let it go. You only get one chance — don’t miss a shot. You only get this once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
Let’s take a look at this year’s superlatives.
Most likely to stop Scottie Scheffler: Ravioli
This will be your last nod to savoring Italian delicacies before the calendar switches to the new year. Preparing a homemade dinner during the holidays before the 2025 season turned out to be the only way to slow down Scheffler. The world No. 1 was sidelined for the first month of the campaign, but when he returned to the golf course he continued to go from strength to strength in his golf game, battling occasional left-handed errors. My hand was injured when the glass broke while trying to roll out pasta dough..
Despite a windy road early on (by Scheffler’s standards), the end result was a fourth straight PGA Tour Player of the Year award with 20 top-25 finishes in 20 tournaments, 17 top-10s, six wins and two more major championships. Not too shabby for a chef of his caliber.
Most dramatic player: Rory McIlroy
This covers both definitions of the word. “Let me take your phone out of your hands while you heckle and record me during a practice round at the Players Championship” and “Let me take years out of everyone’s life while you try to complete a career grand slam on the second nine at Augusta National.”
No player had a more dramatic performance in 2025 than McIlroy.
He won the Masters and the Irish Open with an incredible putt on the 18th green, and won the DP World Tour Championship in a playoff against Matt Fitzpatrick on the Earth Course. After his victory at Augusta National, he was forced to change drivers at the PGA Championship and sulked in the media, feeling gloomy for a month until he fended off the American crowd at the Ryder Cup en route to a road win for the European team.
Windham Clark most likely to hire new PR team
It’s never a good thing when a player makes more noise outside the ropes than inside them, but unfortunately for the 2023 U.S. Open champion, that’s the situation this year. Clark’s biggest splash came at the PGA Championship, when he took a wayward drive on the 16th at Quail Hollow and then slammed his driver into the T-Mobile sponsor sign surrounding the tee box.
Ironically, the T-Mobile athlete wasn’t finished. Frustration boiled over until the U.S. Open, when, two years after hoisting the trophy, Clark caused an inferno in the locker room at Oakmont Country Club. He offered (some might think) an apology at the Travelers Championship the following week, but Oakmont did not accept. The following month, a letter to members was published stating: Clark was expelled from the club. Until certain requirements are met, such as charitable donations or counseling.
Most likely to take matters into their own hands (next time): Keegan Bradley
The American captain should have played in the Ryder Cup. Yes, it was labeled as One of the most selfish moves in sportsBut it’s okay to be selfish sometimes. As the Ryder Cup approached, Bradley began to realize that.
The U.S. captain said he was thinking about playing during practice rounds and was thinking about teaming up with Scheffler. His team fell behind early on, with some tactical decisions often proving to be ill-advised, and Bradley once again left the Ryder Cup without a trophy in his hands.
Now, the question becomes whether he will participate in another tournament, and if so, in what capacity. He could certainly play the vice-captain role…but captain or player? It may be an even steeper mountain to climb. While a return as a leader seems a long way off at the moment, he may have one more chance as a player. That’s why his 2026 season could be one of the most intriguing in all of golf.
“It would be really fun to play one more game. I don’t know if I’ll have a chance,” Bradley said. “This Egging incident was very cruel to me. I don’t know if I want to play or not. No, I want to play. It’s a very strange thing to love something so much and not get anything back from it.”
Most likely to hold meetings via email: PGA Tour, LIV Golf
Most likely to be Father Time: Justin Rose
There’s something to be admired about a player performing at such a high level this late in his career, and no player fits this category more than the 2025 Rose. He came so close to winning the Masters, became the oldest winner on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson with his win at the St. Jude Championship, and once again played a key role on the European Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black, putting the ball in unexpected places. swimming pool.
The 45-year-old has worked hard to maintain his level of play and has increased it even further in recent years. Although inconsistent, Rose’s ceiling effect remains. That’s why he can still compete in major championships. That’s why he doesn’t want to be Ryder Cup captain in 2027. And that’s why you should believe him when he talks about the remaining years and potential of his career.
“I feel like the golden summer of my career is still available to me,” Rose said after winning the St. Jude Championship. “That’s what I’ve always wanted. Moments like getting close at (Royal) Troon and then obviously getting close at Augusta (National) are a signal that it’s possible. That’s another really, really, really important signal that I’m on the right track with my game and may actually be a little bit better at this point.”
Most likely to tell you straight: Viktor Hovland
He’s the greatest quote in golf because you never know what’s going to come out of his mouth. But I do know that Hovland is honest about any topic thrown at him, including his state of play, his swing, and his thoughts on extraterrestrial life.
Here are some of his biggest hits of 2025.
- On the early season struggles: “I’m pretty frustrated right now. Like I said, this game of golf is very elusive. It’s counterintuitive and it’s very difficult right now. But I know there’s going to be a future in me and I’ve got a lot of good golf that I’ve played in the past. Things will get better soon. … In my opinion, I’m bad right now, but it’s all relative.”
- After winning the Valspar Championship: “I hit a lot of shots that I didn’t like and they just happened to go where I saw them.”
- On the long par-3 8th at Oakmont: “I think all the best par 3s are under 200 (yards). … I think as soon as you start taking the headcover off on par 3s, it gets a little bit ridiculous.”
- In contention at the US Open: “Everyone wants to win. I also have the desire to hit the shot. I want to stand on the tee and hit the shot I envision.”
- On being heckled at the Ryder Cup: “I’m just going to laugh it off for the most part because it doesn’t really come close to the ideas in my head.”
Most likely to ask for a do-over: PGA of America
People make fun of organizations and companies because it’s easy and often because the organization or company makes them do it. Joined the PGA Association in 2025.
If I was given the chance to redo the past 12 months, I would definitely do it. The decision to make Bradley captain was made the previous year, but its effects trickled down to 2025, making it an issue for the U.S. captain every time the tournament stopped. In hindsight (and foresight), it was unwise to select a top 15 player in the world to lead a Ryder Cup team without ever discussing the job beforehand.
But it didn’t end there. Players said it mimicked Quail Hollow, which leads to the PGA Championship, and was nearly identical to what is often seen at the annual PGA Tour venue. To the organization’s credit, they decided to play the ball down in wet conditions and to the frustration of their players. Unfortunately, another cloud loomed over the championship due to a lack of communication regarding driver testing.
Now, back to the Ryder Cup: the host who gave up the microphone. and The PGA of America president did not give up his job. The LinkedIn post, the non-apology, the damage control all happened, and it all could have been avoided if the event had been run better.
