A look back at 2025’s emotional turning points, personal stories, and unforgettable golf moments on and off the course.
2025 was a year full of stories. Great careers came to an end, new paths were taken. Between farewells and fresh starts, crisis and clarity, emotion and spectacle, golf had it all this year. Sometimes, a single putt is enough to define an entire season. Here’s the year in review.
Bernhard Langer’s Quiet Farewell at Augusta
Some images in golf speak louder than words. When Bernhard Langer stood on the 18th green at Augusta in April, the crowd rose to their feet as the two-time Masters champion took his final putt. After 41 starts, it was time to say goodbye. He missed the cut, but that hardly mattered. What resonated was the decades Langer spent at Augusta, earning global respect. Calm and grateful, Langer expressed his hope to return often as a non-playing champion. A quiet exit for a legend who never sought the spotlight, yet was impossible to overlook.
From Wildfires to Wedding Bells: Golf’s Emotional Spectrum
While Augusta echoed with memories, another historic course in California faced a different kind of challenge. Wildfires, fueled by strong winds, forced tens of thousands to evacuate and came dangerously close to the Riviera Country Club. A nearly century-old venue known for hosting the Olympics, Majors, and Hollywood elites, Riviera found itself in the fire’s path. Emergency crews fought to protect one of golf’s most iconic sites.
Elsewhere, the Ladies European Tour brought a heartwarming story. German player Laura Fünfstück married fellow tour pro Rosie Davies and returned to competition just days later. “Nice to focus on my swing again instead of table settings,” she joked, highlighting how closely personal life and professional golf intertwine.
Meanwhile, Tiger Woods made headlines off the course. Reports linked him romantically to Vanessa Trump, ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. Both based in Florida, they were seen together multiple times. With Woods managing injuries and mourning his mother’s passing, his personal life once again drew public attention.
LIV Golf, Family First, and Health Scares
At LIV Golf Adelaide, Patrick Reed electrified the crowd with a hole-in-one at the 12th hole, the infamous “Watering Hole.” Fans erupted, drinks flew, and Reed celebrated like a rock star. The scene resembled a football match more than a golf event—