Storylines We're Watching for the Rest of 2025

Ignorance or Ambivalence

I fervently believe that this era of golf will be looked back upon as a dark period with respect to equipment regulation. Courses continue to be stretched while records continue to be shattered. Governing bodies struggle to find venues with the distance and infrastructural capacity to host major championships. The PGA Tour preaches legacy while historic venues are carved up into obsolescence by the modern game. Turning a blind eye to the problems distance is imposing right now requires either ignorance or ambivalence.

I’m eager to see who emerges as leaders championing the rollback. Make the game more exciting by shrinking the driver head and restoring skill, and make the game more responsible by relieving golf courses of the stress we’ve placed upon them. Who will be the voices leading that charge and fighting a battle that is generally unpopular?

A lot is changing in the professional golf world right now. I hope 2025 can bring about positive change towards responsible golf regulation, something from which the entire golf world would benefit tremendously. – Joseph LaMagna

‍Well … We’re Waiting

The LPGA's next commissioner could be announced any day now. Reports have noted that it's down to a two-person race between PGA of America COO Craig Kessler and Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin. Both would bring strong business acumen to the role, as Kessler previously served as COO of Topgolf and Baldwin worked as an agent at CAA Sports and Fenway Sports Management.

Hiring a business executive for a commissioner role is not a groundbreaking decision, but it’s important to note the change in strategy from the last time the LPGA hired a new leader. Mollie Marcoux Samaan came from an Ivy League school where she headed up the Athletic Department. Managing the ins and outs of a college athletic program with a multi-billion-dollar endowment is drastically different from managing a women's professional sports league that operates in the red. Kessler and Baldwin have spent their careers in the golf world and will not need to use the first year of their tenure to learn how things are run.

Whoever gets chosen in the coming days or weeks, the LPGA’s future financial health has to be the top priority. They can't miss again on this hire and be in the same spot they're in now a few years down the road. One way to make sure that doesn't happen is to hire someone who can figure out how to make the LPGA a profitable league. The likely source of those profits? A revamped media rights deal where a broadcast partner actually pays the LPGA to show its tournaments. If the Tour can turn a profit, it can finally start investing in itself. – Meg Adkins

Who’s Going to Bethpage?

With few exceptions, the hallmark of recent U.S. Ryder Cup teams hasn’t been the talent at the top but at the bottom. Brett Wetterich isn’t walking through that door (no offense, Brett). With guys like Tony Finau, Scottie Scheffler, Daniel Berger, and Sam Burns as recent captain’s picks, there have been few question marks entering the team matches.

Let me tell you right here, right now, that ain’t the case in 2025.

As it stands today, the six automatic qualifiers for the U.S. Ryder Cup team are Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau, Russell Henley, and Justin Thomas. There are very few arguments that these six guys shouldn’t be on the team, although I will accept that Henley’s game does not fit Bethpage Black, so we’ll see how he finishes 2025.

After that top group, there are A LOT of questions. Is Brooks Koepka going to show signs of life this year? Is Jordan Spieth going to play well enough to deserve a pick? How many players in the top 12 of points — currently Maverick McNealy, Brian Harman, Andrew Novak, J.J. Spaun, Patrick Cantlay, and Harris English — are skipped over? If Keegan Bradley finds himself in the top 10 in points, will he pick himself?

The situation could look very different by the time August rolls around, but as it stands today, Captain Keegs has a hell of a job in front of him. – Will Knights

Major Szn

There are a lot of really cool golf courses hosting major championships, and I’m particularly excited to view the tournaments on the courses that I’ve seen in person. Let’s dive in.

Open Championship at Royal Portrush: This is truly one of the greatest golf courses in the world, with great hole after great hole set amongst majestic seaside dunes. I’d argue this is the most stunning course in the Open rota and in the top two of pure golf tests. Since Shane Lowry sort of ran away with the title the last time the Open was at Royal Portrush, I’m hopeful for a historic championship with a packed leaderboard this summer.

U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills: It’s great to see Erin Hills center stage for another U.S. Open. When the men were there, the wind didn’t blow and many criticized the course due to the low scores. I think this Wisconsin links-style venue presents a great chance for a memorable tournament, and majors on public golf courses are always a win.

U.S. Open at Oakmont: A golf course synonymous with the U.S. Open and the first go around after an extensive restoration effort from Gil Hanse. The bunkers have been rebuilt and deepened and several original and penalizing features have been reinstated. There’s almost no doubt that this course will produce exhilarating television, so buckle up.

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Women’s PGA Championship at PGA Frisco Fields Ranch East: This modern golf course was designed specifically to host major championships and test the best players in the world, so I’m keen to see how it shakes out for the women ahead of the men’s PGA next year. This is another public venue with an awesome final stretch of holes. – Matt Rouches

Summer of Xander Part II

At next week's PGA Championship, Xander Schauffele will play the role of "the hunted" instead of "the hunter" for the first time in his career. Schauffele had 12 top 10s in 27 major starts entering the 2024 PGA at Valhalla, which made him a default answer to the question of "who's the best active player without a major win?" He took himself out of contention for that moniker in style, winning at Valhalla and taking down the Open at Royal Troon in July. Now, it's time to follow that up.

A rib injury put him on the shelf for much of January and February this year, but signs of normalcy have appeared for Xander following The Players,  most importantly, a T-8 finish at the Masters, another major top 10. He should obviously be considered a threat to repeat at the PGA – he's got back-to-back runner-up finishes at Quail Hollow for the Truist Championship – but my eyes are set a bit further down the line. In eight U.S. Open appearances, Schauffele's worst finish is a tie for 14th. Outside of Rory McIlroy, he's been the best U.S. Open player for the better part of a decade, and he's yet to win one. Armed now with two majors and, in theory, full health, Schauffele should be in prime position to win the championship he's been sniffing around for so long. Remember how fun the "career slam watch" was a few weeks ago? I think we'll be running that back in April 2026.

Winning only one major this summer may not be as grand as Xander's run in 2024, but how often are sequels as good as the original, anyway? – PJ Clark

‍This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.