Tour Confidential: The most important golf figures of 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 the most important golf figures from the past 12 months, the drama of PGA Tour Q-School and more.

As we count down the final days of 2025, let’s take a 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 should be new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp and new LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler. Both have taken over old buildings that were in desperate need of fresh ideas and a new perspective. We’re already hearing rumors of massive changes to the PGA Tour schedule starting in 2027. Like them or not, the Tour is clearly looking for something that will solve the LIV Golf problem. With Kessler and the LPGA, a new TV deal appears to be the spark that will allow the Tour to ride this new wave of interest in women’s sports around the world. There are certainly more important names in golf 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 explained it well, but I’ll go ahead and give Tiger Woods his obligatory mention. Tiger’s popularity for the sport continues to wax and wane, as evidenced by the massive coverage whenever he even posts a swing video. His competitive career may be behind him, but his influence on the game remains unparalleled.

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

And who – not mentioned above – could we be talking about in this room a year from now as a key figure of 2026?

Hirsh: I think it’ll be someone like Jon Rahm. His prominence in the game seems to have diminished since his move to LIV, but he is still playing quite well and I think he will make more of an impact in the majors. He still hasn’t won one since the 2023 Masters.

Melton: What about Brooks Koepka? Speaking of LIV, it has long been rumored that he wants to end his LIV deal in order to return to the PGA Tour. Could 2026 be the year we see a LIV star defect return to the Tour? If so, BK will probably be the first domino to fall.

Five players earned 2026 Tour cards through PGA Tour Q-School Sunday at TPC Sawgrass. Which outcome – the good or the bad – stood out to you the most?

Hirsh: Sad to see one of the great people of the Tour, Camilo Villegas, fall one shot short of a playoff to retain full playing status on the Tour. He’ll still be there as a former winner, but I wouldn’t be surprised if former winners clinging to fringe status is exactly the point of reducing the number of exempt players from 125 to 100.

Melton: Alejandro Tosti returns to the Tour – and the satisfied gods thank him.

Sens: Villegas’ last missed shorty on 18 was painful. But it was touching to see him stay to celebrate with his friend and compatriot Marcelo Rozo. Personally, I was rooting for Spencer Levin, who has been around for a long time and just wasn’t having his best today.

Speaking of the aforementioned Tour map changes, are five maps from Q-School enough? Too few? And is Q-School still an important part of the build-up to the Tour?

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

Melton: I would like to see Q-School give out even more cards. We always talk about ‘life-changing’ weeks in professional golf, but there is no tournament where that is more true than the final stages of Q-School. The drama of it is unlike anything else in sports, and that makes it one of the coolest weeks of the year.

Sens: Five approves. And eliminating ties only adds to the excitement. There’s nothing like a sudden death play-off to cap off 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 choose one course that you have already played and can play for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Hirsh: First of all, that’s a level of golf sickness I’m not familiar with. Bravo! I have no idea what the most courses I’ve ever played are. Probably around 20. I’m sure Zephyr has played an incredible number of courses over the years. However, if I had to choose one course it would probably be Royal Dornoch. Linksgolf is undefeated.

Melton: I wish I played half as much golf as my peers think I play. I only recorded 40 rounds in 2025! As for most courses, this is probably around 30. If 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 atmosphere. Elite logo.

Sens: I’m just guessing at an annual number. Probably 50? That was a year in my twenties, when I waited tables at night and snuck in to catch muni shifts before the weekday. As for a single course, difficult question. For lack of a perfect answer: Cruden Bay. I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun on a course.