Tour Confidential: Did Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler or someone else win 2025?

Join us every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they discuss the hottest topics in sports, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week we discuss what we learned in 2025, who won the year and more.

Who won the year? Well, Rory McIlroy completed the Grand Slam career, Scottie Scheffler won two majors, but Luke Donald and the European Ryder Cup team won a road match at noisy Bethpage. That’s just a selection of the nominees, and that doesn’t even include recreational golf, which has once again boomed. Who or what won 2025?

Jessica Marksbury, editor-in-chief (@jess_marksbury): Some very worthy nominees here, but I’ll take the obvious answer and go with Rory. A Grand Slam career is an achievement for generations – and the drama that accompanied his achievement, from the playoff and the banishment of his Augusta demons to his cathartic reaction to finally breaking his major championship drought – made it all the more compelling and emotionally satisfying for us to watch at home.

Nick Piastowski, editor-in-chief (@nickpia): Yeah, hard to argue with Rory. Biggest win, biggest moment. Let’s do this though. McIlroy wins the year. And we’ll say Scottie Scheffler is on track to win the decade. And the news that every LPGA event will be live on TV could be the most impactful moment moving forward.

Josh Schrock, news editor (Schrock_And_Awe): It’s Rory. He checked off two of the last three items on his career bucket list, winning at Pebble, Sawgrass, Augusta and in Ireland before putting the golf fans in a locker at Bethpage for three days. Oh, and he won Sports Personality of the Year. But kudos to the LPGA for hiring Craig Kessler as commissioner. He’s already made some significant changes, starting with the on-air change, as Nick noted. I think the LPGA is in good hands, and I look forward to seeing where they go under his watch. If we do who won the annual podium, Rory gets the gold, Scottie gets the silver, and the LPGA gets a premature medal for where I think Kessler can take them.

What was the most memorable moment of the year? And no, you can’t all choose the same one.

Marksbury: Rory’s 18th green collapse at Augusta brought a tear to my eye. As media members, we’re used to staying neutral, but watching Rory’s ups and downs during that final round was an exhausting and emotionally draining viewing experience. I can’t remember a recent major championship where viewers and local fans wanted a win for a player more, perhaps since Tiger at the Masters in 2019, or Tom Watson at Turnberry in 2009. Rory’s performance felt like a victory for all of us who have watched him over the course of his career.

Piastowski: Let’s go for JJ Spaun’s US Open winning putt at Oakmont. I like his story. I liked his rebound after making five bogeys in his first six holes during the final round. Then came his 20-yard bomb, in the rain, with the ball illuminated by cameras and a scoreboard on the green. It was movie-like.

Schrock: For me it was Rory’s Eagle Putt that sent the Irish Open to a play-off. He was in a big funk where he ended up at Portrush. Last year he lost the Irish Open when Rasmus Hojgaard tracked him down on Sunday. The shot of the crowd literally levitating off the ground as the Eagle Putt fell with him fist pumping was electric and a reminder that few are able to do what Rory McIlroy can do.

What story didn’t get as much attention as it deserved?

Marksbury: I had the pleasure of revisiting Jeeno Thitikul’s record-setting season for the year’s best stories countdown, and wow, what she has accomplished in 2025 is truly remarkable. She won three times – a far cry from Nelly Korda’s seven wins last year – but that was the most of anyone on the LPGA Tour this year, where 29 different players claimed titles (also a new record). Jeeno’s consistency was absolutely astonishing: 14 top 10s in 20 events, leading to a new single-season winnings record ($7,578,330!) and a new record with an average of 68.68, surpassing the level set by Annika Sorenstam in 2002. Such achievements are worthy of endless praise!

Piastowski: I like that answer, Jess. Thitikul should have received more attention for what she achieved. I agree with Minjee Lee’s win at the Women’s PGA, which gives her three majors. It will be interesting to see if she can win one or two more and fully join the conversation of all-time greats, if she isn’t there yet.

Schrock: I like that answer, Nick. I was there in Frisco that week and it was so impressive to see Minjee charting that course while everyone else was complaining about unfair pins. I’m not sure we’ve fully appreciated the run Justin Rose is on at age 45. He finished second at Troon, played Rory to a 72-hole tie at the Masters, including Sunday’s nuclear, beat Tommy in Memphis and then stole the souls of Team USA with every putt at Bethpage. I don’t know how long his “Indian Summer” will last, but it is one of the best stories in professional golf right now.

What have you learned in 2025?

Marksbury: Given the overwhelming success of the Internet Invitational, the arrival of TGL and the introduction of the Optum Golf Channel Games, it is becoming increasingly clear that there is an appetite for golf consumption that extends far beyond the Tour. I’m very curious to see where that leads.

Piastowski: I like that answer. Yes, there is certainly a lot of golf, and the question will be whether golf can keep that up. I’m going with something that I’ve relearned, I think, and that’s just how good Tiger Woods was and the effect he’s had. Think of how many times his name came up with Scottie Scheffler this year. Think about how much attention is paid whenever the man says anything. His influence is remarkable.

Schrock: Piggybacking on Nick here, but Tiger has another legacy-writing chapter ahead of him. The influence he has in shaping the future of the PGA Tour cannot be overstated. From a possible new schedule to unification, Tiger will play a major role in what the future of the Tour looks like. Tiger may not have to deal with it as much in the future, but what we see will have his fingerprints all over it.

Teams led by Scott Scheffler and Rory McIlroy headlined the Optum Golf Channel Games on Wednesday, where the made-for-TV event ditched the traditional format and featured speed golf and a range of different challenges. What were you thinking? And does this type of event have more staying power than some of the traditional competitions or skins games we’ve seen?

Marksbury: Challenge-based games are always fun, even when unknown players join in, like in the days of Golf Channel’s Big Break. So adding top players like Rory and Scottie definitely ups the entertainment factor – and I think I actually like the fast pace better than traditional matches and skins games.

Piastowski: I didn’t mind! The speed challenge was fun. The polos looked a bit unbuttoned, so to speak. But yes, as we discussed above, I wonder if all these events, shows and competitions are sustainable. That said, different is better for me, and I hope this one sticks.

Schrock: I liked it more than I thought. What worked was the pace. It was fast and something new. I really liked the relay idea and thought it generally worked. Golf needs more variety and something like this was much better than another version of The Match.