LUBBOCK, TX — The 2025 PGA Tour officially kicked off its first tournament last weekend at The Sentry in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. With 35 FedEx Cup events remaining, 4 major tournaments, and a lot of golf left, who will dominate the headlines throughout the year?
Over the past four days in sunny Hawaii, Colin Morikawa and Hideki Matsuyama were among the top five favorites for The Sentry. During most of the tournament, the two were neck and neck, but on Sunday, Morikawa fell short, finishing three strokes behind Matsuyama, who claimed the first-place title, $3.6 million in earnings, and 700 FedExCup points.
Although the two have played their fair share of golf in the past few years, will they shake up the standings this year after their first strong victory, or will Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, or Rory McIlroy attempt a victory lap this year?
With a nine-win season, second major title, Olympic gold medal, FedEx Cup winner, a new baby boy, and a few hours in jail all under his belt, Scottie Scheffler had an impressive 2024 season. He may take the crown again in a handful of tournaments this upcoming year. However, he won't start right away. As of January 6, Scheffler announced that he is withdrawing from the American Express tournament after missing The Sentry due to a hand injury while preparing Christmas dinner. Avid fans of Scheffler and his spectacular Sunday finishes will have to be put on pause while he heals his right hand and gets back into the swing of things.
Xander Schauffele had a successful 2024 season but always seemed to be in the shadow of Scottie Scheffler. In May 2024, Schauffele claimed his first major victory with a birdie on the final hole at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. His 21-under-par score set a record for the lowest ever in a major, edging out LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke after DeChambeau also birdied the final hole. In July, Schauffele added the Open Championship at Royal Troon, becoming the first golfer to win two majors in a season with a final-round 65. He joined Brooks Koepka as the only player to win multiple majors in a year since Koepka's 2018 U.S. Open and PGA Championship wins. With those two majors in the books, Schauffele hopes to have an even better year of golf in 2025.
Though the big names stand out in the PGA Tour, some of the younger players may also have their time to shine.
A big favorite this year is Ludvig Åberg after finishing fifth in The Sentry last weekend. Åberg holds the title as the world’s number one amateur golfer in 2022-2023 for 29 weeks after starting school at Texas Tech in 2019. Unfortunately, his collegiate season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, he has done well through the amateur standings. After starting on the PGA Tour in 2023, Åberg has been among the top players in recent years to creep up the ranks. Finishing second in the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am behind Wyndham Clark and second in the 2024 Master’s Tournament behind Scottie Scheffler, Åberg remains at the top of many lists to do well in the 2025 season.
Ludvig Aberg golfing at Texas Tech
(Credit: texastech.com)
Another rising player this year is 22-year-old Akshay Bhatia. Bhatia is a standout amateur who has represented the United States in the 2017 Junior Presidents Cup, the 2018 Junior Ryder Cup, and the 2019 Walker Cup. He made history as the youngest and first-ever high schooler to play for the U.S. in these events. In April 2024, Bhatia won his first PGA Tour event at the Valero Texas Open in a playoff over Denny McCarthy. Although he finished T32 in The Sentry, Bhatia may still need to get familiar with the sharks in the water, even after winning a PGA Tour event.
Nick Dunlap is also at the top of many lists. Dunlap won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2021 and the U.S. Amateur in 2023. In 2024, Dunlap made history by winning The American Express, becoming the first amateur in 33 years to claim a PGA Tour victory. He then turned professional, finishing his amateur career ranked number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Although the top golfers on the Tour may overshine Dunlap in headlines, he might be able to squeeze in a few strokes past the big names in golf this year.
The PGA Tour is home to a diverse group of players, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. While veterans like Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, and Keegan Bradley are starting to wind down their careers, and top performers continue to rake in tournament wins, a new generation of young golfers is ready to make a name for themselves in the 2025 PGA Tour season.
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