The best thing about sports is that there is always something new on the horizon to look forward to. Whilst 2024 was an electrifying year for the world of golf that left us with many unforgettable moments, the focus and attention now turns to 2025.
There is of course the traditional Major curtain raiser to the season at Augusta in April with the The Masters and then the prospect of a return to Royal Portrush as The Open returns to County Antrim, Northern Ireland once again.
We will leave the tournament predictions and analyses of the golf betting odds to another day and instead focus on which players are most optimistic about making 2025 a year to remember. Read on to find out who we have tipped for golfing glory this year.
Jon Rahm
30-year-old Spaniard Jon Rahm is a consummate professional under pressure and, following a testing year in which he moved to LIV Golf, will be looking to make the very most of 2025. The big highlight of the year for Rahm could come toward the end of the calendar during the Ryder Cup.
Traditionally Europe don’t fare well on American shores, but if Rahm is picked by Luke Donald, the continent’s chances of winning at Bethpage will dramatically increase. On a personal level it could be a good year for Rahm too, especially if the betting odds are to be believed.
At the time of writing he currently finds himself as the third favourite at 12/1 just behind Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. As we all know though, McIlroy at Augusta is cursed, so Rahm is effectively the second favourite!
Scottie Scheffler
Speaking of The Masters, it would be remiss not to mention the outright favourite for the Green Jacket at Augusta – 28-year-old Scottie Scheffler. In April he will be looking for his third win at the course to follow up successes in 2022 and 2024 and looks well placed to do so.
The only weakness that we can see in Scheffler’s game is his short putting, an area in which the world number 1 only ranked 139th on the PGA Tour. Taking his short put
ting game from poor to even average could go a long way to seeing him totally dominate the golfing calendar in 2025.
(Scottie Scheffler had a great 2024 but could have an even better 2025 if he perfects his short putting game.)
Rory McIlroy
To allow you a little peek behind the curtain, I drive past Holywood almost every day, which of course is where Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy hails from. In this wee country every success of McIlroy’s is heartily celebrated and every near miss is painfully felt.
His inclusion on this list perhaps owes more to our own national pride than cold hard logic as, despite his undoubted talent, McIlroy just seems to have a block when it comes to winning a major – something he hasn’t done for 11 years.
Could 2025 be the year that he breaks that duck? Well, there’s no better place to do it than Royal Portrush which is just a short 60 mile drive up north from Holywood.
Ludvig Aberg
Just a few years ago Ludvig Aberg wasn’t particularly well known outside of hardcore golf circles. After his impressive 2024 season the 25-year-old Swede is finally earning the recognition that his golf deserves.
Finishing 2nd in the Masters Tournament 2024 has thus far been the highlight of his embryonic career, but 2025 could be an even better one for Aberg. In contrast to McIlroy, Aberg seems to have a bold, fearless approach to golf which could help to give him the edge over some of his more cautious counterparts.
(Aberg was so close to winning the Masters last year.)
Rasmus Hojgaard
After bigging up Rory McIlroy above it almost feels like we’re purposely denigrating him now, first by lauding Aberg for his fearless approach to golf and then for choosing as our final pick a man that produced a sensational finish in the Irish Open to snatch victory from the Holywood man.
It’s not our fault though that Hojgaard did that and it certainly wouldn’t surprise us if he pipped McIlroy and some of golf’s other big names to some of the sport’s biggest accolades in 2025. In terms of potential, Hojgaard is perhaps one of the most exciting European golfers we have seen in decades which means he is definitely a player to keep an eye on this year.