The 2025 golf year was filled with emotional turning points, personal stories, and dramatic scenes on and off the course.
2025 was a year packed with stories. Legendary careers came to a close, new paths were forged, and golf delivered everything from farewells to fresh starts, crises to clarity, emotion to spectacle. Sometimes, a single putt is enough to define an entire year. Here’s the year in review.
Bernhard Langer’s Quiet Farewell at Augusta
Few images in golf speak louder than words. But 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. After 41 starts, it was time to say goodbye. The putt didn’t make the cut, but that hardly mattered. It was the decades Langer spent at Augusta that earned global respect. Gracious and composed, Langer expressed his hope to return often as a non-competing champion. A quiet exit for a giant who never sought the spotlight, but was impossible to overlook.
From Wildfires to Weddings: A Year of Contrasts
While Augusta was filled with nostalgia, another historic course in California faced a different kind of drama. Wildfires, driven by strong winds, forced tens of thousands to evacuate and came dangerously close to the Riviera Country Club. With nearly a century of history, including hosting Olympic events and Major wins, Riviera found itself in the evacuation zone. Firefighters battled to protect one of golf’s most iconic venues.
Meanwhile, on the Ladies European Tour, a heartwarming moment unfolded. German golfer Laura Fünfstück married fellow pro Rosie Davies and returned to competition just days later. “Nice to think about my swing instead of tablecloths again,” she joked, highlighting how personal life and professional golf often intertwine.
Elsewhere, Tiger Woods made headlines off the course. Rumors swirled about a relationship with Vanessa Trump, ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. Both based in Florida and active in junior golf circles through their children, the pair were spotted together several times. While Woods dealt with injuries and the loss of his mother, his private life once again drew public attention.
Emotions, Family, and Physical Limits
At LIV Golf Adelaide, emotions ran high in a different way. Patrick Reed’s hole-in-one on the raucous 12th hole, the “Watering Hole,” sent fans into a frenzy.