A look back at 2025’s emotional turning points, personal stories, and unforgettable moments on and off the course.
2025 was a year full of stories. Legendary careers came to a close while new paths were forged. Between farewells and fresh starts, crises and clarity, emotion and spectacle, golf had it all. 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. What resonated was the decades Langer spent on that hallowed ground—respected not only in Germany but around the world. 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 miss.
From Fire to Festivities: Golf’s Emotional Spectrum
While Augusta was filled with memories, 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 Riviera Country Club. With nearly a century of history, Riviera has hosted Olympic events, Majors, and countless celebrities. As flames threatened one of golf’s most iconic venues, emergency crews fought to protect it from disaster.
Meanwhile, on the Ladies European Tour, German pro Laura Fünfstück added a personal highlight to her season by marrying fellow tour player Rosie Davies. Just days later, she was back on the course. “Nice to think about my swing again instead of tablecloths,” she joked, showing how closely intertwined personal life and professional golf can be.
Elsewhere, Tiger Woods made headlines off the course. Reports linked him romantically to Vanessa Trump, ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. Both live in Florida and were seen together multiple times. With both families involved in junior golf, their paths naturally crossed. While Woods dealt with injury and the loss of his mother, his private life once again drew public attention.
LIV, Love, and Life’s Priorities
At LIV Golf Adelaide, Patrick Reed electrified the crowd with a hole-in-one on the 12th hole,