The most important golf figures of 2025

Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss the most important golf figures of the last 12 months, the drama of PGA Tour Q-School and more.

As we count down the final days of 2025, let’s take a quick moment to reflect on the year that was. Who were the most important golf figures of 2025?

Jack Hirsh, associate equipment editor (@JR_HIRSHey): Important? I think it’s got to be new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp and new LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler. Both have taken over legacy properties badly in need of fresh ideas and new perspective. Already we’re hearing talks of massive changes for the PGA Tour schedule as soon as 2027. Whether you like them or not, the Tour is clearly looking for something that will put its LIV Golf problem to bed. With Kessler and the LPGA, a new TV deal seems like it could be the spark to get the Tour to ride this new wave of interest in women’s sports around the world. There are certainly more important names in the golf world right now, but none will have more pressure to achieve their goals in 2026 than these two.

Zephyr Melton, associate game-improvement editor (@zephyrmelton): Jack laid it out well, but I’ll go ahead and give Tiger Woods his obligatory mention. The popularity of the sport still ebbs and flows with Tiger — as evidenced by the heaps of coverage when he so much as posts a swing video. His competitive career may be behind him, but his influence on the game remains unmatched.

Josh Sens, senior writer (@JoshSens): Good answers above. To them, I’d add Rory McIlroy for providing the most compelling entertainment of the year at both the Masters and the Ryder Cup. And Tommy Fleetwood for best feel-good story. But that’s more about rooting interest than importance. Beyond those guys, some non-traditional golf figures come to mind, especially at a time when the game is stretching increasingly beyond its old boundaries. Caitlin Clark getting into golf. LeBron James going viral with every swing posted online. And though I’d rather get a root canal than watch a bunch of “influencers” knock it around, clearly people are interested, as we saw with the success of the Internet Invitational. Welcome to the future, for better or worse.

And who — not mentioned above — might we be talking about in this space a year from now as a key figure of 2026?

Hirsh: I think it will be someone like Jon Rahm. His prominence in the game has seemed to diminish since his move to LIV, but he’s still played pretty well and I think will start making more of an impact in majors. He still hasn’t won one since the 2023 Masters.

Melton: How bout Brooks Koepka? Speaking of LIV, he’s long been rumored to want out of his LIV deal in order to get back to the PGA Tour. Could 2026 be the year we see a LIV star defect back to the Tour? If it is, BK is likely the first domino to fall.

Sens: Bryson. His impact shows no sign of slowing.

Five players earned Tour cards for 2026 via PGA Tour Q-School Sunday at TPC Sawgrass. Which outcome — the good or bad — stuck out to you the most?

Hirsh: Sad to see one of the Tour’s great people, Camilo Villegas, come up one shot short of a playoff to keep full playing status on the Tour. He’ll still be around as a former winner, but I wouldn’t be surprised if former winners hanging onto fringe status is exactly what shrinking the number of exempt players from 125 to 100 is targeting.

Melton: Alejandro Tosti is headed back to the Tour — and the content gods thank him.

Sens: Villegas’ final missed shorty on 18 was painful. But it was touching to see him stick around to celebrate with his friend and countryman Marcelo Rozo. Personally, I was rooting for Spencer Levin, who has been around the block and then some and just didn’t have his best stuff today.

Speaking of the Tour’s aforementioned card changes, are five cards from Q-School enough? Too little? And is Q-School still a key part of the Tour’s construction?

Hirsh: We absolutely need Q-School, especially now that Monday Qs are gone. I think five is a good number, especially with the Korn Ferry Tour shrinking to 20 cards. I also like the hard five instead of the ties, because a playoff, like we got this year, for the last PGA Tour card of the season is pretty awesome. But I’d also like to use this space to mention we still need Monday Qs.

Melton: I’d like to see Q-School give even more cards. We always talk about “life-changing” weeks in pro golf, but there’s no tournament where that’s more true than the Final Stage of Q-School. The drama of it is unlike anything else in the sport, and that makes it one of the coolest weeks of the year.

Sens: Five feels about right. And eliminating ties only adds to the excitement. Nothing like a sudden-death playoff to cap a four-day stress test.

Our Josh Sens recently wrote about a golfer who just broke a world record for most courses played in a year. What’s your number? And if you could pick one course you have already played to tee it up on for the rest of your life, which is it?

Hirsh: First of all, that’s a level of golf sicko-ness of which I’m not familiar. Bravo! I have no idea what the most courses I’ve ever played is. Probably around 20. I’m sure Zephyr has played some ungodly number of courses the last couple years. If I had to pick one course though, it would probably be Royal Dornoch. Links golf is undefeated.

Melton: I wish I played half as much golf as my co-workers think I play. I only logged 40 rounds in 2025! As for the most courses, it’s likely in the range of 30 or so. When you don’t belong to a club, variety is the name of the game. As for one course for the rest of my life? Give me Pasatiempo. Elite course. Elite vibe. Elite logo.

Sens: I’d only be guessing at an annual number. Probably 50? That was a year in my 20s when I waited tables at night and would sneak out to the muni pre-weekday shifts. As for a single course, tough question. In the absence of a perfect answer: Cruden Bay. I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun on a course.