A look back at 2025’s emotional turning points, personal stories and dramatic scenes on and off the golf course.
2025 was a year full of stories. Legendary careers came to an end while new paths were forged. 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
Few images in golf speak louder than words. But when Bernhard Langer stood on the 18th green at Augusta in April, fans rising to their feet as the two-time Masters champion took his final putt, it was one of those moments. After 41 starts, it was time to say goodbye. He missed the cut, but that hardly mattered. What resonated was the decades Langer spent on this course—earning respect not just in Germany, but worldwide. Langer remained composed, grateful, and expressed his wish to return often as a ‘non-playing champion.’ A quiet exit for a giant who never sought the spotlight but was impossible to ignore.
Golf in the Face of Fire: Riviera Threatened
While Augusta echoed with memories, another historic course in California faced a very different challenge. Fierce wildfires, fueled by strong winds, forced tens of thousands to evacuate and crept dangerously close to Riviera Country Club. With nearly a century of history, Riviera has hosted Olympic events, Majors, and countless celebrities. Now, it found itself in the evacuation zone. As thousands fled their homes, emergency crews fought to save one of golf’s most iconic venues.
From Personal Joy to Professional Focus
Golfers themselves also defined the year in unique ways. On the Ladies European Tour, Laura Fünfstück added a personal highlight: marrying fellow tour player Rosie Davies. Just days later, she was back on the course, ready to compete. “Nice to think about my swing again instead of tablecloths,” she joked, showing how closely personal life and professional golf are intertwined today.
Meanwhile, Tiger Woods returned to headlines for reasons beyond the fairway. Reports linked him romantically to Vanessa Trump, ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. Both based in Florida, they were seen together multiple times—golf, after all, brings people together. With Woods navigating injury and the loss of his mother, his private life once again drew public attention.
At LIV Golf Adelaide, emotions ran