Who will win golf’s biggest prizes in 2025?
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From who will win the Masters to which team will lift the Ryder Cup, our team of contributors predict what will happen in the big events that matter this season. Let’s dive straight in…
Who will win the Masters?
Michael Catling: Scottie Scheffler. He’s the boring but obvious choice as an Augusta specialist and a serial contender whenever he tees it up. He has nine wins, two seconds, and eight other top 10s in his last 22 starts. I rest my case.
Chris Jones: Bryson DeChambeau. His ‘it’s a par 67 for me’ comments are way behind him. This is a different Bryson now.
Rob McGarr: Ludvig Åberg. The guy is a stone-cold killer. To finish second on his first visit was incredible enough, but I can see him going one better in 2025 and kickstarting a special year.
Rob Jerram: Ludvig Åberg for me too. A poor decision on the final day last year curtailed his hopes, but he won’t make the same mistake again. He’s also over the knee injury that stopped an excellent 2024 from becoming an exceptional one.
Ross Tugwood: Rory McIlroy. Sport never reads the script, and after a year of near misses in 2024, four will become five at Augusta with Rory denying Scottie Scheffler back-to-back Green Jackets to complete his set.
Sarah Pyett: I’m surprised no one has said Xander Schauffele. He’s won two of the last three Majors, has a sneakily good record at Augusta, and doesn’t have to contend with the pressure and expectation of defending.
Who will win the US PGA?
Michael Catling: Rory does have a ridiculously good record at Quail Hollow, but so does Max Homa and I’m resigned to the fact that Rory will never win a Major again. Homa will be the people’s champion of 2025.
Chris Jones: Rory. Some courses just suit your eye, and Quail Hollow suits McIlroy’s, especially off the tee. He won the Wells Fargo in 2024, one of four titles here; including his first on the PGA Tour in 2010.
Rob McGarr: Rory. I’ve been saying for years that he’ll never win another Major but Quail Hollow is probably his best chance to prove me wrong unless they host one in his back garden.
Rob Jeram: I remain firmly in the ‘Rory’s too good to never win another Major’ camp. They’re unlikely to play a Major in Dubai anytime soon, so Rory will have to prevail at another of his happiest hunting grounds and lift Major No.5 at Quail Hollow.
Ross Tugwood: Scottie Scheffler. After being arrested this time last year, the World No.1 will bounce back with a vengeance and storm to a dominant victory at Quail Hollow… maybe in Sunday orange?!
Sarah Pyett: I’d really love to see Rory take this one and claim his fifth major title. He won at Quail Hollow in 2010 and 2015, shooting mind-boggling scores, so this looks like his best chance of ending the streak.
Who will win the US Open?
Michael Catling: By the law of averages, it’s got to be Xander Schauffele, right? He’s had seven top 10s in eight US Open starts. Rory has had six in six, so I expect Schauffele to beat him in a play-off.
Chris Jones: Scottie Scheffler. You need total control of your golf ball around Oakmont, with its narrow fairways, penal bunkers, and slippery greens. No-one does that better than Scottie.
Rob McGarr: Scottie Scheffler. The cream rises to the top at Oakmont and he’s the best golfer on the planet by a mile. I can’t see him going the whole year without a Major.
Rob Jerram: I can see Bryson DeChambeau defending his title, giving more fans the chance to kiss the trophy. He finished T15th on debut at this venue in 2015 and he knows how to win this trophy with two wins in his last five starts.
Ross Tugwood: Ludvig Åberg. The ‘generational talent’ has already contended in two of his first four Major starts. It feels like a breakthrough win is just around the corner now a small knee injury is behind him.
Sarah Pyett: It’s a big call, but I’m backing Xander Schauffele to complete the career grand slam. His US Open record is exemplary, and Oakmont seems like the perfect fit for his ball striking and temperament.
Who will win The Open?
Michael Catling: Let’s go for Tyrrell Hatton, the king of the links. He’s a three-time winner of the Dunhill and a combined 195 strokes under par on links courses since 2015. He also finished T6 at Portrush in 2019.
Chris Jones: Rory. Redemption for 2019, when he broke down in tears after posting 79-65 to miss the cut by a shot at a course an hour from where he was born.
Rob McGarr: I’m going leftfield with a resurgent Jason Day. He finished T2-T13 in the last two Opens and could end a 10-year major drought at Portrush – provided he gets some Malbon waterproofs that don’t billow too much in the wind.
Rob Jerram: I’d love it to be Tommy Fleetwood, but I think Brooks Koepka will lift the Claret Jug to regain the Majors upper hand on Rory, ready for a Career Grand Slam showdown at Augusta in ‘26.
Ross Tugwood: Tommy Fleetwood. With three top 10s in his last six Opens, including a runner-up finish at Portrush, the Englishman has what it takes to be the Champion Golfer of the Year.
Sarah Pyett: After a close call last year, I can see ‘local’ favorite Shane Lowry repeating his heroics and lifting the Claret Jug for a second time at Royal Portrush.
Which team will win the Ryder Cup?
Michael Catling: America. I hope I’m wrong, but home advantage counts for so much nowadays. Keegan Bradley also seems far more capable and inspiring than Zach Johnson ever was as captain.
Chris Jones: Europe. For all the talk that Keegan Bradley will lead an inspired US team feeding off the home crowd… I don’t buy it. I think Luke Donald will be a better leader, with better players, who will go in as underdogs.
Rob McGarr: Europe. An away team hasn’t won since 2012 but I think the PGA of America has had a shocker with ticket prices for Bethpage and priced many real fans out. Corporate hospitality folk won’t create the same hostile atmosphere.
Rob Jerram: I’ve just watched Una Famiglia, which may be clouding my judgment, but I have to say Europe. Luke Donald staying on is huge. It’ll be tight – let’s go 14.5-13.5.
Ross Tugwood: Team USA. Unpopular opinion, but team spirit can only count for so much. Under Keegan Bradley the Americans have the inspiration needed to find their best golf when it matters most.
Sarah Pyett: Europe. Despite not being on home soil, I’m quietly confident we’ll be coming home from New York State with the 14.5 points needed to win.
Who will win the Race to Dubai and FedEx Cup?
Michael Catling: If he stays injury-free and out of jail, Scottie Scheffler will win the FedEx Cup along with five other tournaments. Rory will take the consolation prize and move one behind Monty’s record of eight Order of Merit titles.
Chris Jones: Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. Business as usual for the two stand-out players of their generation.
Rob McGarr: Call me boring but Scottie Scheffler is too consistent not to win the FedEx and it’s hard to bet against Rory for the Race to Dubai considering he’s won it at a canter the last three years running.
Rob Jerram: I fancy Rory to do the double. It’s impossible to see him not taking Europe’s No.1 spot, but the swing changes he’s made are more likely to hold up under pressure, so he’ll take PGA Tour honors, too.
Ross Tugwood: More of the same in 2025 with Rory claiming a seventh Order of Merit. Scottie won nine tournaments in 2024. I can see him winning another handful in 2025 and taking an insurmountable lead into the FedEx Cup finale.
Sarah Pyett: With his knack for staying in contention week after week, Scottie Scheffler’s my pick to take home the FedEx Cup, and predictably, Rory is my bet to win the Race to Dubai like everyone else.
Who will be the standout female player?
Michael Catling: Rose Zhang is a generational talent, but I fancy Jeeno Thitikul to overtake Nelly Korda as World No.1 before the year is out. The 21-year-old ended 2024 with one victory, two seconds, and five other top 10s.
Chris Jones: Lydia Ko. At 27, she’s already an elder stateswoman of the LPGA, but I can see her building on an incredible second half of 2024 when she won Olympic gold, her third major (the Open), and entered the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Rob McGarr: It surprises me that Charley Hull hasn’t won a Major but I think that changes this year – probably at Royal Porthcawl for the Women’s British Open.
Rob Jerram: How can I pick anyone other than Nelly Korda? She had six wins from 16 LPGA starts in 2024, including a Major. She’s gone from good to great and has developed an aura that scares other players.
Ross Tugwood: Really difficult to see past Nelly Korda again. Aside from a brief mid-season wobble, the American was remarkably consistent, winning seven times. Much like Scottie Scheffler, the rest of the field is just too far behind.
Sarah Pyett: After her incredible 2024 season, it’s hard to see how anyone is going to top Nelly Korda. I think she’ll remain World No.1, but not without a fight from the likes of Lydia Ko, Lilia Vu, and Jeeno Thitikul.
Who will be the breakout star?
Michael Catling: Michael Thorbjornsen is the American Ludvig Aberg. He hits it a mile, graduated top of the class at PGA Tour University, and finished runner-up at the John Deere Classic in July. He’s got a bright future.
Chris Jones: Nick Dunlap, though you could argue the 20-year-old has already broken through. Last year he won on the PGA Tour as an amateur (first in 30 years), turned pro, then won again six months later. I can see him being in the conversation for a Ryder Cup pick.
Rob McGarr: Neal Shipley. He finished low amateur in the Masters and US Open, and in his first 10 PGA Tour starts has made eight cuts, three top-25s, and one top-10. He looks unflappable.
Rob Jerram: Neal Shipley is a hell of a talent and impressed while playing alongside Tiger in the final round of the Masters. He has made huge strides up the World Rankings since then and doesn’t seem overwhelmed by the weight of expectation.
Ross Tugwood: Keita Nakajima. Already a winner on the DP World Tour, the rising Japanese star holds the record for most weeks spent at No.1 in the Amateur Golf Rankings (87). A breakthrough win at a flagship event feels inevitable.
Sarah Pyett: I’m going with the majority and picking Neal Shipley. He did miss out on a PGA Tour card at Q-School, but he has made the cut in 80% of his starts since turning pro. He’ll be getting plenty of invites to make an impression.
Make a bold prediction for 2025
Michael Catling: I’ll give you three. TGL will flop, Jordan Spieth won’t make the US Ryder Cup team, and Tiger will announce his retirement before accepting the Ryder Cup captaincy on his 50th birthday on December 30.
Chris Jones: Tiger quits, becomes a senator, and throws his hat in the ring to be President in 2028. You did say bold…
Rob McGarr: Donald Trump will propose a bill that provides tax benefits to all golfers with a handicap of five or below. “They’re great guys. They’re the best guys. They hit the ball long and true. We need to look after these guys.”
Rob Jerram: Scottie Scheffler to do all Major round warm-ups in a prison cell, for old times’ sake. Seriously, though, I think Rasmus Hojgaard will make the Ryder Cup team ahead of Nicolai. And Matt Fitzpatrick won’t make the side.
Ross Tugwood: Donald Trump will make a hole-in-one during the Par-3 Contest at the Masters having reunited the sport during the first few months of his Presidency.
Sarah Pyett: After her success in 2024, and despite rumors of retirement swirling for years, I think we’re going to see Lydia Ko playing more than ever. I’m backing her for the Race to CME Globe for 2025, too.
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About the author
Michael Catling – Features Editor
Michael Catling is an award-winning journalist who specializes in golf’s Majors and Tours, including DP World, PGA, LPGA, and LIV.
Michael joined Today’s Golfer in 2016 and has traveled the world to attend the game’s biggest events and secure exclusive interviews with the game’s biggest names, including Jack Nicklaus, Jordan Spieth, Tom Watson, Greg Norman, Gary Player, Martin Slumbers and Justin Thomas.
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Team TG make their predictions for 2025.
