A look back at 2025’s emotional turning points, personal stories, and unforgettable golf scenes on and off the course.
The year 2025 was packed with stories. Legendary careers came to a close, new paths were forged, and golf delivered everything from crisis 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 in unison as the two-time Masters champion took his final putt. After 41 appearances, it was time to say goodbye. The putt didn’t make the cut, but that hardly mattered. It was the decades Langer spent walking those fairways that earned global respect. Ever humble, Langer expressed gratitude and a desire to return as a non-playing champion. A quiet exit from a giant who never sought the spotlight but was impossible to miss.
From Wildfires to Weddings: Golf’s Human Side
While Augusta echoed with memories, California’s historic Riviera Country Club faced a different kind of challenge. Raging wildfires, driven by fierce winds, forced tens of thousands to evacuate and came dangerously close to the nearly century-old course. A venue of Olympic history, Major wins, and Hollywood glamour, Riviera found itself in the evacuation zone, as firefighters battled to protect one of golf’s most iconic sites.
Meanwhile, on the Ladies European Tour, Laura Fünfstück brought warmth to the season with her wedding to fellow tour pro Rosie Davies. Just days later, she was back on the course. “Nice to focus on my swing again instead of tablecloths,” she joked, showing how closely personal life and professional golf intertwine.
Elsewhere, Tiger Woods made headlines not for his play, but for his personal life. Reports linked him to Vanessa Trump, ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. Both based in Florida, they were seen together multiple times. With both families involved in junior golf, their paths naturally crossed. Amid a tough year marked by injury and the loss of his mother, Woods’ private life once again took center stage.
Celebrations, Sacrifices, and Setbacks
At LIV Golf Adelaide, emotions ran high in a different way. Patrick Reed’s hole-in-one on the 12th hole, dubbed the “Watering Hole,” sent fans into a