The 2025 golf year brought emotional turning points, personal stories and unforgettable scenes 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, 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 our year in review.
Bernhard Langer’s Quiet Farewell at Augusta
Some moments 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, it was time to say goodbye. Langer’s decades-long presence at Augusta earned respect far beyond Germany. Grateful and composed, he expressed his wish to return often as a non-competing champion. It was a quiet exit from a great who never sought the spotlight, yet was impossible to overlook.
From Wildfires to Weddings: A Year of Contrasts
While Augusta was filled with memories, another historic course in California faced a different kind of challenge. Wildfires driven by strong winds forced tens of thousands to evacuate, threatening the iconic Riviera Country Club. With nearly a century of history, host to Olympic events, Majors, and Hollywood legends, Riviera found itself in the evacuation zone. Fire crews battled to protect one of golf’s most storied venues.
Meanwhile, on the Ladies European Tour, German golfer Laura Fünfstück added a personal highlight to the 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 table settings,” she joked, showing how closely personal life and professional golf are intertwined.
Elsewhere, Tiger Woods made headlines off the course. Reports linked him romantically to Vanessa Trump, ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. Both based in Florida and seen together multiple times, their connection reflects the tight-knit world of golf. With Woods navigating injury recovery and the loss of his mother, his private life once again drew public attention.
Celebrations, Sacrifices and Setbacks
LIV Golf Adelaide delivered one of the year’s loudest moments. Patrick Reed’s hole-in-one on the 12th hole, known as the “Watering Hole,” sent the crowd into a frenzy. Drinks flew,