Sport is about glory, triumph and trophies. It’s about information, acclaim and celebration. However for each winner there are numerous losers.
For them, there’s disappointment and despair. There are undesirable information, criticism and cat calls.
Who’ve been the most important losers in golf in 2025? Let’s discover out.
1. PGA of America
Appointing Keegan Bradley because the Ryder Cup captain at all times seemed like a silly transfer and nothing that occurred in 2025, or within the match itself, modified anybody’s thoughts concerning the tragicomic resolution that was introduced in July 2024.
Bradley, keep in mind, was controversially neglected for the 2023 match by captain Zach Johnson and he was filmed receiving the information by the Netflix sequence Full Swing. It was if the PGA of America needed to make issues higher after they gave him the captaincy and the transfer got here again to hang-out them.
Bradley was already taking part in nicely when he gained June’s Vacationers Championship and so needed to resolve whether or not or to not be a taking part in captain. Rory McIlroy revealed that he had as soon as been sounded out about such a task and instantly fired it down. Bradley snapped that the Northern Irishman didn’t know if it was attainable. It wasn’t a great look or a great psychological state for a captain and it was so pointless.
Within the match itself Bradley didn’t fare nicely within the first two days however the PGA of America doubled down on their incompetence by hiring a comic who joined the US galleries in chanting on her tannoy: “F**okay you Rory!”
Oh, after which the PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague needed to e-mail an apology to McIlroy about that mess, and about followers hurling abuse at him and a beer at his spouse.
All in all? Simply the most important flops of the yr.
2. LIV Golf
You already know you’ve flopped whenever you verify the doubts of your critics and, on the identical time, disappoint your followers – and that’s what LIV Golf did when it introduced that the 2026 schedule will embrace 72-hole occasions quite than 54-hole ones.
The shortened size was, after all, one of many insurgent circuit’s signature strikes so to vary its thoughts can’t be something apart from a stand down. Inevitably, due to this fact, there was crowing from the smugger critics. Others simply shrugged (which could be much more of a snub).
However when LIV’s followers gasped in outrage, or felt betrayed, it actually was flop time.
3. Joaquin Niemann
Make completely no mistake: the Chilean is without doubt one of the world’s most interesting golfers and he proved it repeatedly in 2025, not least when profitable 5 instances on LIV.
However he stays a baffling flop within the majors. He’s performed in 26 of them and landed just one high 20. That was this yr’s PGA Championship and was largely the consequence of a remaining spherical 68.
He then missed the lower on the US Open and Open to re-establish his elite stage difficulties.
4. Wyndham Clark
In 2023, the Colorado golfer gained the US Open at LA Nation Membership however this yr he missed the lower at Oakmont after which trashed his locker.
The damaged furnishings appeared on social media and his damaged popularity went with it. He was banned from Oakmont after which issued a grovelling apology.
He did end fourth within the Open, which was his solely main championship high 30 end apart from his win, so maybe letting off steam has helped him out.
It’s nonetheless a really, very dangerous look, although.
5. Max Homa
There are few golfers extra well-liked than the Californian who’s a six-time winner on the PGA Tour – the final of them in 2023.
However one thing odd occurred to his profession. When profitable all these titles he was poor within the majors. Then, in early 2024, he completed high 10 back-to-back on the Masters and the PGA Championship.
However in 36 begins since then he has landed solely two high 10s anyplace and in early 2025 he was little in need of abject. A return to his greatest golf is amongst most golf followers biggest hopes for 2026.
6. Dustin Johnson
DJ insisted late in the summertime that he’d discovered one thing in his recreation that may enhance his golf going ahead and he did obtain a season’s greatest third at LIV Indianapolis.
However as a significant championship performer he was a big flop for a second yr working in 2025. He missed the lower within the first three majors of the yr and was on monitor to take action once more after opening with a 73 on the Open. He managed T23 ultimately however his opening spherical within the 2024 and 2025 majors are little in need of rotten.
They learn: 78-73-74-74-74-78-75-73. It’s eye-wateringly dangerous.
7. Patrick Cantlay
In eight seasons from 2017 to 2024 the 33-year-old registered 26 high three finishes and he was significantly sturdy in 2022 when he notched seven of them.
However this season he recorded only one high three and whereas it was profitable – on the Tour Championship – it’s a really poor return for a golfer of his high quality. He additionally hasn’t gained since 2022.
8. Rickie Fowler
The 36-year-old impressed when ending sixth and seventh on the St Jude Championship and BMW Championship within the FedEx Cup Play-Offs, however many observers had been unimpressed by his mere presence in them.
Why so? He’d solely made one high 10 in the whole yr earlier than then and he’d performed many tournaments on invites which was seen as an unfair benefit over different golfers who needed to compete on earned begins. Fowler will need to keep away from such carping in 2026 and might want to play higher to take action.
9. Yannik Paul
When the German claimed a primary DP World Tour win in late 2022 after which added a trio of high three finishes in 2023 he was on many a brief record to make the European Ryder Cup staff.
2025 has been totally different. Very totally different. In 27 begins he managed just one high 30. He didn’t retain his card, needed to return to Q Faculty – and he missed the lower.
Learn extra: The most important breakthrough stars from the 2025 season
