The 2025 golf year brought emotional farewells, personal stories, and unforgettable scenes on and off the course.
From career finales to unexpected headlines, 2025 was a year full of stories that shaped the golf world. Between goodbyes and new beginnings, crises and clarity, emotion and spectacle, golf delivered it all. Sometimes, a single putt is enough to define an entire year.
Bernhard Langer’s Quiet Farewell at Augusta
Few images in golf speak louder than words. When Bernhard Langer stood on the 18th green at Augusta in April, the crowd rose to its feet as the two-time Masters champion took his final putt. It didn’t make the cut, but that hardly mattered. After 41 starts, Langer’s decades-long presence at Augusta earned global respect. He remained composed and grateful, expressing his wish to return as a non-playing champion. A quiet exit for a legend who never sought the spotlight but was impossible to overlook.
From Wildfires to Weddings: Golf’s Human Side
While Augusta echoed with memories, California’s Riviera Country Club faced a different kind of drama. Raging wildfires, fueled by strong winds, forced tens of thousands to evacuate and threatened the historic course. Known for hosting Olympic events and Major victories, Riviera found itself in the path of disaster, as emergency crews fought to protect one of golf’s iconic venues.
Meanwhile, on the Ladies European Tour, German golfer Laura Fünfstück added a personal highlight to her season by marrying fellow tour player Rosie Davies. Just days later, she was back competing. “Nice to think about my swing again instead of tablecloths,” she joked, showcasing how closely intertwined personal life and professional golf have become.
Off the course, Tiger Woods made headlines not for his play, but for a rumored relationship with Vanessa Trump, ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. Both based in Florida and connected through junior golf, the pairing sparked media interest during a year that also saw Woods dealing with injury and the loss of his mother.
Celebrations and Challenges: LIV, Straka, and Hull
At LIV Golf Adelaide, Patrick Reed electrified the crowd with a hole-in-one on the 12th hole, famously known as the “Watering Hole.” Fans erupted, drinks flew, and Reed soaked in the football-like atmosphere—exactly the kind of energy LIV Golf aims to create.