With the golf world still talking about Rory McIlroy’s impressive victory at the Masters just weeks ago, it’s notable that the PGA Tour has already reached the midpoint of its 2025 FedEx Cup season.
The tour now moves into its second half, commencing this week with the CJ Cup Byron Nelson event, teeing off Thursday at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.
Although the world`s top two golfers, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, were slowed by injuries, the initial half of the season delivered numerous surprises and celebrated several first-time winners, including two at last week`s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Looking ahead, golf fans can anticipate three more major championships among the remaining 17 tournaments, culminating in what promises to be a memorable Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York, scheduled for September 26-28.
Here’s a summary of the highlights from the first half of the 2025 season:
Midseason Player of the Year
How could anyone other than Rory claim this title? Rory McIlroy not only secured his first green jacket at Augusta National, thus completing the career Grand Slam in the Masters era, but he also triumphed in strong fields at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on February 2 and The Players on March 17.
McIlroy currently leads the tour with a scoring average of 69.2 and holds a significant lead in strokes gained: total (2.319), nearly half a stroke better than his nearest competitor. With 2,463 points, he enjoys an almost 800-point advantage in the FedEx Cup standings.
The five-time major champion seems poised for continued success, especially with upcoming events at venues where he has historically performed well. This includes the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina (May 15-18), where he has won the Wells Fargo Championship four times and holds course records. He will also return home for The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland (July 17-20).
Shane Lowry, the 2019 Open Championship winner at Royal Portrush, commented, “Going back to Portrush is going to be incredible. Rory going back as the Masters champion now is going to take a little bit of heat off me again, so I`m pretty happy with that. It`s going to be a great tournament.”
Others considered: Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Russell Henley, Ludvig Åberg.
Midseason Rookie of the Year
Karl Vilips, who moved to the U.S. at age 11, made an immediate impact by winning the Puerto Rico Open by three strokes on March 9 in just his fourth PGA Tour appearance. The former Stanford standout set a new 72-hole scoring record for the tournament at 26-under 262 at Grand Reserve Golf Club, opening with a 6-under 66 and closing with an impressive 8-under 64.
Vilips reflected on the win: “Dream come true for me and my dad. Going at it for a long time. This is what we dreamed of when I was a kid. It`s pretty surreal.”
His season started later than planned due to a bulging disc in his back, but he quickly found his winning form. After missing three consecutive cuts and finishing tied for 54th at the RBC Heritage, Vilips partnered with Michael Thorbjornsen to tie for fourth at last week`s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
The 23-year-old Vilips also became the first ambassador for Tiger Woods` Sun Day Red apparel line in February. Growing up in Australia, Vilips idolized Woods.
“He`s who got me into this sport, who motivated me to be who I am today,” Vilips said. “The mentality he brought to everything that he does.”
Others considered: Aldrich Potgieter, Rasmus Højgaard, Isaiah Salinda, Danny Walker.
Midseason Comeback Player of the Year
Bud Cauley`s return to the PGA Tour in February 2024 marked a significant milestone after he was sidelined for over three years following severe injuries from a car wreck in 2018. Cauley sustained six broken ribs, a collapsed right lung, and a fractured left leg as a passenger in the single-car accident during the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio.
Although he returned to the tour for two years after the crash, he dealt with persistent pain from a plate in his chest. Further surgeries and infections led to his three-season absence.
Upon his 2024 return, Cauley missed seven cuts in 17 starts, with a notable tie for fifth at the Sanderson Farms Championship in the fall. This year, however, Cauley has rediscovered his excellent form, achieving four top-25 finishes and three top-10s in nine starts. His tie for sixth at The Players Championship, a tournament where his friend Justin Thomas openly wished for his victory, was particularly crucial in helping him secure his PGA Tour card.
Cauley, currently 37th in the FedEx Cup standings with 553 points, also tied for fourth at the Valspar Championship and fifth at the Valero Texas Open.
Speaking at the Valspar Championship, Cauley stated, “When I`m out there, I`m not thinking about anything that`s happened in my past, just trying to play as well as I can. Yeah, when I`m out there it`s like nothing ever happened.”
Others considered: Michael Kim, Daniel Berger, Viktor Hovland.
Midseason Breakout Player of the Year
Andrew Novak`s journey on the PGA Tour has been characterized by a steady, albeit sometimes frustrating, progression. He finished 156th in the FedEx Cup standings in 2021-22, requiring a return to the Korn Ferry Tour Championship to regain his tour card. He climbed to 105th the following year and 86th in 2024.
This season, the 30-year-old is playing the best golf of his career. Highlights include a solo third place at the Farmers Insurance Open in January and ties for 13th in two signature events, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational.
After a quieter period during the Florida swing, Novak tied for third at the Valero Texas Open and was defeated by Justin Thomas in a playoff at the RBC Heritage. Last week, Novak and Ben Griffin celebrated their first PGA Tour victories as a team at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. This win came in Novak`s 100th tour start.
Novak currently sits sixth in the FedEx Cup standings with 1,380 points and is ninth in the U.S. Ryder Cup team standings with 5,587.6 points.
Novak reflected on his progress: “I think I`ve done a pretty good job not getting overly frustrated with the close shaves. I`ve been trying to take as many positives from each as I can because the idea is I can put myself in that position as many times as I`m able to. I want to get better each time I`m in that position. I want to be more comfortable. I want to have things that I can look back on and improve on. Yeah, it`s frustrating, but it`s also nice going into a tournament knowing you`re playing well.”
Others considered: Michael Kim, Ben Griffin, Joe Highsmith, Jacob Bridgeman, Brian Campbell, Ryan Gerard.
Most Surprising Stat
Zero. That`s the number of victories for Scottie Scheffler in his eight starts on tour this season, a striking contrast to his nine worldwide wins in 2024.
It`s not that Scheffler has performed poorly since recovering from a right hand injury sustained while cooking on Christmas Day. He has finished in the top 25 in all his starts, including a tie for third at the Genesis Invitational and a second-place finish at the Texas Children`s Houston Open. He also finished solo fourth at the Masters in his attempt for back-to-back green jackets.
However, even Scheffler acknowledges that his game has been slightly off, particularly his putting, which was a key factor in his numerous wins in 2024. Despite this, he remains second on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: total (1.911) and tee to green (1.627), and fourth in approach (.942). These are still exceptional statistics.
Best Victory
The Masters, the season`s first major championship, delivered immense excitement. It featured a final-round showdown between Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau, high drama on Augusta National`s back nine on Sunday, including McIlroy`s near-collapse and Justin Rose`s incredible comeback.
Rose carded a final-round 6-under 66, sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to put pressure on McIlroy, who had let a four-stroke lead slip away. McIlroy then missed a 5-foot par putt on No. 18, forcing a playoff with Rose.
On the first playoff hole (No. 18), Rose placed his approach shot 15 feet from the pin, while McIlroy landed his second shot just 4 feet away. Rose missed his birdie attempt, and McIlroy sank his putt to capture his first green jacket in his 11th appearance.
McIlroy shared his feelings: “This is my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time. I think the last 10 years coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that, yeah, I`m sort of wondering what we`re all going to talk about going into next year`s Masters.”
Best Round
Jake Knapp recorded the 15th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history with a bogey-free 59 during the opening round of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, featuring 12 birdies and six pars.
Best Shot
After a double-bogey on the 14th hole in the Masters final round, Rory McIlroy executed what was described as the `shot of a lifetime` en route to a birdie on the 15th.
Best Putt
Justin Thomas, a two-time major champion, ended a nearly three-year winless streak with a dramatic 20-foot birdie putt to win a playoff at the RBC Heritage on April 20, marking a significant return to the top of the leaderboard.
Best Drive
Rookie Aldrich Potgieter leads the tour in driving distance with an average of 324.1 yards off the tee, highlighted by an impressive 374-yard drive at the Mexico Open.
Worst Drive
At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, 20-year-old South African Aldrich Potgieter demonstrated that even tour pros can occasionally mishit a drive, showing he`s capable of topping one like anyone else.
Best Attitude
Joel Dahmen displayed remarkable perspective and a positive mindset after finishing with three consecutive bogeys and missing a short putt on the 17th hole, which resulted in a one-stroke loss to Garrick Higgo at the Corales Puntacana Championship in Puerto Rico on April 20.
Best Punt
Patton Kizzire`s visible frustration, expressed by kicking his club, after missing a 5-foot par putt in the first round of the Valspar Championship earned him a spot in this category.
Best Save
Chandler Phillips executed one of the season`s most memorable saves in New Orleans, bravely venturing near alligator-infested waters to play his shot.
Jasper Hawthorne