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. Legendary careers came to a close, new paths were taken, and golf delivered everything from farewells to fresh starts, crises to clarity, emotion to spectacle. Sometimes, all it takes is a single putt 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 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. The putt didn’t make the cut, but that hardly mattered. What resonated was the legacy Langer built over decades on that course—respected not just in Germany, but worldwide. Ever composed, Langer expressed gratitude and a desire to return often as a non-playing champion. A quiet exit for a giant who never sought the spotlight, yet was impossible to ignore.
Golf Amid Flames and Fame
While Augusta was filled with memories, another iconic course in California faced a different kind of drama. Wildfires, fueled by strong winds, forced tens of thousands to evacuate and came dangerously close to the Riviera Country Club. With nearly a century of history, the club—host to Olympic events, Majors, and Hollywood elite—found itself in the evacuation zone. As thousands fled their homes, emergency crews fought to protect one of golf’s most storied venues from disaster.
Love, Life, and the Tour
It wasn’t just places, but people who shaped the year. On the Ladies European Tour, Laura Fünfstück added a heartwarming chapter by marrying fellow tour pro 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, highlighting how closely personal life and professional golf intertwine. Sometimes, it’s just one travel day between wedding vows and the first tee.
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 and seen together multiple times, their connection reportedly stems from their children’s involvement in junior golf. While Woods dealt with injury and the loss of his mother, his private life once again drew public interest.