An incredible 2025 golfing season has just come to a close, and it was a year that will be remembered for a long, long time.
Rory McIlroy completed the Career Grand Slam by winning The Masters, Scottie Scheffler was compared to Tiger Woods after winning two major championships, and Team Europe marched into Bethpage Black to win an away Ryder Cup.
Meanwhile, JJ Spaun won the US Open to complete an unlikely underdog story, becoming one of the biggest stars in the sport, and Tommy Fleetwood picked up his first PGA Tour win at the Tour Championship.
But if you thought the storylines had been exhausted in golf, think again. LIV Golf drama rages on, Scheffler looks to make history, and Fleetwood hopes to take the next step in 2026.
Here, we take a look at the five biggest storylines heading into next year.
Number 5: Rory McIlroy’s motivation
McIlroy looked to be a lost soul after winning the Career Grand Slam. He admitted to lacking motivation and needing a break from the bright lights of the PGA Tour.
But the Ryder Cup lit a fire under the Northern Irishman. He was back to his brilliant best in New York as he fought to fulfil his promise from 2023: to win an away Ryder Cup.
He was jawing with the American fans at Bethpage Black while playing his best golf. The Ryder Cup gave him all the motivation he needed to get back into the right headspace.
It will be interesting to see what version of McIlroy turns up in 2026: a de-motivated one with nothing left to achieve, or the McIlroy with a fire in his belly looking to prove the world wrong.
If it’s the latter, then he could begin to stack the major championships and cement his legacy among the all-time golfing greats.
Number 4: Tommy Fleetwood hunts a major championship
He picked up his first PGA Tour win in 2025 after knocking on the door for years, and he’s arguably been the third-best player in golf this year. Now’s the time for Fleetwood to take the next step and become a major winner.
Fleetwood said the major he’d most like to win is The Open, and it’s going to be played at his home course at Royal Birkdale in 2026. This is a golden opportunity for the Englishman to win the Claret Jug in front of his home fans.
What specific part Tommy Fleetwood’s game do you think he must improve if he is to ever win a major?
He’s got the skillset to win a major, and he’s entering the new year in the form of his life. Let’s see if Fleetwood can begin to build a résumé that fits his talent next year.
Number 3: Bryson DeChambeau and LIV Golf’s future
2025 was a poor season for LIV Golf, with none of their players winning a major, and their individual champion not winning an event. 2026 is now a massive season for the Saudi-backed league.
Their future mainly lies in the hands of Bryson DeChambeau. He’s their biggest star, and he needs to be performing on the major stages if the league wants any hope of being respected.
What’s more, he’s been expected to re-sign to the league for a while now, but recent comments have hinted at him perhaps wavering on his faith in LIV for the first time.
He told Flushing It: “I think that as a league now we have more opportunity to make some movements, and I think that team has an opportunity to do some things differently than the past few seasons. So, we’ll see where it all goes and where it all leads. Ultimately, it’s quite interesting.”
DeChambeau clearly wants to see some change on LIV before he re-signs. We should all keep a keen eye on the American and LIV Golf in 2026, because if he decides to leave, it’s game over.
Number 2: Brooks Koepka and the PGA Tour
Now that Brooks Koepka has become the first star to jump ship from LIV Golf, all eyes are on the PGA Tour in 2026 to see what they will do ahead of next season.
They could stick a dagger into LIV Golf by allowing him to re-join straight away, carving a pathway for other out-of-form players to return, but that could anger the players who rejected LIV’s money to be loyal to the PGA Tour.
Which of these LIV Golf stars would you least like to see back on the PGA Tour?
They could instead force him to serve out the five-year suspension he was given upon joining LIV in 2022.
The PGA Tour’s decision could reshape the golfing landscape, so all eyes should be on them going into the new year.
Number 1: Scottie Scheffler and the Career Grand Slam
Scheffler’s dominant 2025 season was unlike anything we have seen since Woods, but it could be eclipsed if he completes the career grand slam in 2026.
Scheffler is now a US Open victory away from becoming the seventh man to win all four majors, following in the footsteps of McIlroy.
He’s sure to have the US Open, which is set to be played at Shinnecock Hills, circled in his calendar as the 28-year-old looks to make history.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
