The ups and downs were plentiful on the PGA Tour throughout the 2025 season. Some less heralded competitors, such as Ben Griffin and J.J. Spaun, improved their standing in the world of golf, while others descended due to subpar performance and unfortunate injuries.
Naturally, these evaluations are player-specific and depend on their track record. Major championship victors are assessed differently than those in their second year on the PGA Tour. Previous FedEx Cup champions are expected to consistently vie for the seasonal title, but frequent early exits from major tournaments are cause for concern.
The idea is that reaching the pinnacle often leaves only one direction to go. The players mentioned below did not necessarily plummet, but they failed to maintain their top-tier status throughout the season.
Consistency and longevity are both challenging to achieve in golf. While the 2025 season may not have unfolded as desired for some, the offseason provides an opportunity to regroup, revise strategies, and reclaim a prominent position in the sport for the upcoming season.
Xander Schauffele
Reflect on the 2025 season and try to recall Schauffele’s most memorable shot. Difficult, isn’t it? Despite entering the year on the heels of two major victories in 2024, which seemed to establish him as one of golf’s elite, Schauffele’s momentum was derailed by a rib injury and he struggled to regain his form. There were bright spots: he continued his impressive streak of consecutive cuts, achieved top-12 finishes in three of the four majors, and secured an automatic spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Nevertheless, the expectation for a top-three player in the world is to contend for victories in significant tournaments, which did not materialize. Schauffele’s statistical performance was his weakest since his second year on the PGA Tour, and his short game suffered a notable decline, marking the worst putting season of his career.
Patrick Cantlay
Record books may indicate he was the second-best PGA Tour player in 2025, but that does not tell the entire story. Cantlay was largely inconspicuous for the majority of the year, except for the final week. He failed to make the cut in three of the four major championships and secured points with uncompetitive finishes at signature events. Following a strong showing at the 2024 U.S. Open and a standout performance for the U.S. Presidents Cup team, Cantlay was expected to elevate his game on the grandest stage. The Ryder Cup presents another opportunity, but his PGA Tour chances have waned as he remains winless since the 2022 BMW Championship.
Keegan Bradley, J.J. Spaun among PGA Tour players who exceeded expectations during 2025 season
Robby Kalland
Wyndham Clark
It is never a good sign when one’s behavior overshadows their performance, which unfortunately was the case for Clark in 2025. The former U.S. Open champion infamously threw his driver at a sponsorship sign (ironically, one of his own sponsors) during the PGA Championship and had a public outburst in the Oakmont locker room at the U.S. Open. His performance throughout the PGA Tour schedule was inconsistent, as he constantly experimented with new putters and struggled to find his rhythm with his irons. Although he showed improvement towards the end of the season with a top-five finish at The Open, his overall season was a far cry from his previous two, which included two signature event victories, a runner-up finish at The Players Championship, and his U.S. Open triumph.
Tony Finau
Prior to this year, Finau had not missed the Tour Championship since 2016. This season he failed to qualify for the BMW Championship. Participating in just 20 events, the fewest of his career, Finau struggled in his usual area (putting), but also in an unexpected one (off the tee). He lost strokes to his competitors with his driver for the first time in his career, which negatively affected his iron play, resulting in his worst approach season since 2016 by a significant margin. Having been a member of five of the last six U.S. teams for the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, Finau was not a contender for this year’s team. His lone top-10 finish occurred in February at Torrey Pines.
Sahith Theegala
A neck injury forced Theegala to withdraw from multiple tournaments and miss the PGA Championship, but his performance was also a contributing factor. After making his debut appearance in the Presidents Cup, Theegala was expected to continue improving in 2025, but instead his performance declined. The right-handed player did not achieve a single top-10 finish and had only one individual top-20 result in February at the Genesis Invitational. Upon returning from his neck injury, Theegala struggled, missing four cuts to conclude his summer. After showing year-over-year progress in each of his first three seasons on the PGA Tour, Theegala’s performance declined to below average in 2025.
