With the golf world still reflecting on Rory McIlroy’s memorable victory at the Masters a few weeks ago, it`s notable that the PGA Tour has already reached the halfway point of its 2025 FedEx Cup season. The tour`s second half officially begins this week with the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, teeing off Thursday at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.
While injuries impacted top golfers like Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, the initial part of the season featured numerous surprises and celebrated several first-time winners, including two pairs at the recent Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Excitement continues with three major championships still to be played across the remaining 17 tournaments, culminating in the highly anticipated Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York, from September 26-28.
Let`s take a look back at the key moments and players from the first half of the 2025 season:
Midseason Player of the Year
Could it be anyone else but Rory? Along with becoming the sixth player in the Masters era to achieve the career Grand Slam by winning the green jacket at Augusta National, he also claimed victories against strong fields at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on February 2 and The Players Championship on April 13.
McIlroy currently leads the tour with an impressive scoring average (69.2) and holds a significant advantage in strokes gained: total (2.319), nearly half a stroke better than his closest competitor. His 2,463 points give him a nearly 800-point lead in the FedEx Cup standings.
The five-time major winner may just be hitting his stride, especially given his history at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, host of the PGA Championship from May 15-18. He has won the Wells Fargo Championship at that course four times and holds course records with rounds of 61 and 62. Later in the season, he will return home for The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland on July 17-20.
“Going back to Portrush is going to be incredible,” commented Shane Lowry, who won the 2019 Open Championship there. “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.”
Other players 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 a splash by winning the Puerto Rico Open by three strokes on March 9 in only his fourth PGA Tour start. The former Stanford standout set a tournament record with a 72-hole score of 26-under 262 at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, opening with a 6-under 66 and closing with an 8-under 64.
“Dream come true for me and my dad,” Vilips remarked. “Going at it for a long time. This is what we dreamed of when I was a kid. It`s pretty surreal.”
A bulging disc in his back caused Vilips to start the season late, but it didn`t take long to secure a win. After missing three consecutive cuts and a tie for 54th at the RBC Heritage, Vilips partnered with Michael Thorbjornsen to tie for fourth at last week`s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Vilips, 23, also became the first ambassador for Tiger Woods` Sun Day Red apparel line in February. Growing up in Australia, he idolized Woods.
“He`s who got me into this sport, who motivated me to be who I am today,” Vilips stated. “The mentality he brought to everything that he does.”
Other rookies considered: Aldrich Potgieter, Rasmus Højgaard, Isaiah Salinda, Danny Walker
Midseason Comeback Player of the Year
Bud Cauley returned to the PGA Tour in February 2024 after being sidelined for over three years due to severe injuries sustained in a car accident. In the 2018 crash, where he was a passenger, Cauley suffered six broken ribs, a collapsed right lung, and a fractured left leg. He attempted a return for two years following the wreck but was hampered by pain from a plate in his chest, which led to further surgeries and infections, keeping him off tour for three additional seasons.
Upon his return in 2024, Cauley missed seven cuts in 17 starts, with a tie for fifth at the Sanderson Farms Championship being a highlight.
This year, Cauley has significantly regained his form, achieving four top-25 and three top-10 finishes in nine starts. He tied for sixth at The Players Championship, a finish his friend and former Alabama teammate Justin Thomas openly wished for, stating it helped Cauley secure his PGA Tour card. Cauley, ranked 37th in the FedEx Cup standings with 553 points, also tied for fourth at the Valspar Championship and fifth at the Valero Texas Open.
“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,” Cauley said at the Valspar Championship. “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 a steady but challenging climb. He finished 156th in the FedEx Cup standings in 2021-22, requiring him to return to the Korn Ferry Tour Championship to regain his card. He improved to 105th in 2023 and 86th in 2024.
This season marks the 30-year-old`s best golf yet. He finished solo third at the Farmers Insurance Open in January and tied for 13th in two signature events, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational.
Following a quieter period during the Florida swing, Novak tied for third at the Valero Texas Open and lost in a playoff to Justin Thomas at the RBC Heritage. Then, last week, Novak and Ben Griffin earned their first PGA Tour victories in the team format at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, marking Novak`s 100th career start on tour.
Novak`s strong play has placed him sixth in the FedEx Cup standings with 1,380 points and ninth in the U.S. Ryder Cup team standings with 5,587.6 points.
“I think I`ve done a pretty good job not getting overly frustrated with the close shaves,” Novak commented. “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 is the number of victories for Scottie Scheffler in his eight starts on tour this season, a notable contrast to his nine wins worldwide in 2024. While he hasn`t won, Scheffler hasn`t played poorly since returning in early February after recovering from a right hand injury sustained around Christmas. He has finished in the top 25 in every start, including a tie for third at the Genesis Invitational and second at the Texas Children`s Houston Open. He also finished solo fourth at the Masters in his attempt to win consecutive green jackets.
Even Scheffler admits his game has been slightly off, particularly his putting, which was key to his 2024 success. Despite this, he remains second on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: total (1.911) and tee to green (1.627), and fourth in strokes gained: approach (.942) – statistics that are far from poor.
Best Victory
The Masters, the season`s first major championship, delivered exceptional drama for golf fans. The final round provided a compelling showdown, initially featuring Rory McIlroy versus Bryson DeChambeau, before evolving into a thrilling battle between McIlroy and Justin Rose on the back nine at Augusta National. Rose staged a remarkable comeback, carding a 6-under 66 in the final round and sinking a crucial 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole. This put pressure on McIlroy, who had lost a four-stroke lead and then missed a 5-footer for par on the 18th, forcing a playoff.
On the first playoff hole (the 18th), Rose hit his approach to 15 feet, while McIlroy placed his second shot to just 4 feet. After Rose missed his birdie attempt, McIlroy sank his short putt to capture his first green jacket in his 11th attempt, completing the career Grand Slam.
“This is my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time,” McIlroy reflected. “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 at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. His opening round included 12 birdies and six pars.
Best Shot
After carding a double-bogey on the 14th hole in the final round of the Masters, Rory McIlroy hit what was described as the “shot of a lifetime” en route to a birdie on the 15th hole, demonstrating remarkable resilience.
Best Putt
Two-time major champion Justin Thomas ended a nearly three-year winless drought with a clutch 20-foot birdie putt to win a playoff at the RBC Heritage on April 20, marking a significant moment in his comeback.
Best Drive
Rookie Aldrich Potgieter leads the tour in average driving distance at 324.1 yards. A standout example of his power was a 374-yard drive recorded at the Mexico Open.
Worst Drive
Even tour pros have humbling moments. Aldrich Potgieter, known for his long hitting, showed a rare miscue by topping a drive at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Best Attitude
Joel Dahmen displayed commendable sportsmanship and mindset after finishing with three straight bogeys and missing a short putt on the 17th, leading to a one-stroke loss to Garrick Higgo at the Corales Puntacana Championship in Puerto Rico on April 20.
Best Punt
Patton Kizzire showed his frustration after missing a 5-footer for par during the first round of the Valspar Championship, expressing his disappointment visibly.
Best Save
Chandler Phillips executed one of the season`s most daring saves in New Orleans, requiring him to navigate close to alligator-infested waters to play his shot.