Despite the recent buzz around Rory McIlroy`s historic Masters victory, it`s notable that the PGA Tour has already reached the midpoint of its 2025 FedEx Cup season.
The tour`s second half commences 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 half of the season featured plenty of surprises and celebrated several first-time winners, including two teams at the recent Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Looking ahead, three major championships remain in the final 17 tournaments, followed by what is anticipated to be a memorable Ryder Cup event at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York, scheduled for September 26-28.
Here is a review of the first half of the 2025 season:
Midseason Player of the Year
The clear standout is Rory McIlroy. Achieving a career Grand Slam by winning his first green jacket at Augusta National was a historic moment in April. Additionally, he secured victories against strong fields at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February and the Players Championship in April.
McIlroy currently leads the tour with a scoring average of 69.2 and holds a significant advantage in strokes gained: total (2.319), nearly half a stroke better than any other player. His 2,463 points give him an almost 800-point lead in the FedEx Cup standings.
The five-time major winner appears poised for further success, particularly given his history at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, which hosts the PGA Championship in May. He has won the Wells Fargo Championship there four times and set course records. He will also play The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, his home region, in July.
Shane Lowry, who won the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush, commented on the upcoming event: “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.”
Other strong contenders considered include Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Russell Henley, and 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 in March, in only his fourth PGA Tour start. The former Stanford star set a 72-hole scoring record for the tournament at 26-under 262. He started with a 6-under 66 and finished with an 8-under 64.
Reflecting on the win, Vilips said, “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.”
Despite a late season start due to a bulging disc in his back, Vilips quickly found success. After missing three consecutive cuts and finishing 54th at the RBC Heritage, he paired with Michael Thorbjornsen to tie for fourth at the recent 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, 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 who made an impression are Aldrich Potgieter, Rasmus Højgaard, Isaiah Salinda, and Danny Walker.
Midseason Comeback Player of the Year
Bud Cauley returned to the PGA Tour in February 2024, following a layoff of over three years due to severe injuries sustained in a car crash. In a 2018 accident where he was a passenger, Cauley suffered multiple broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a fractured leg.
He attempted a return to the tour for two years after the wreck but continued to experience pain from a plate inserted in his chest. Subsequent surgeries and infections led to another three seasons sidelined.
Since his 2024 return, Cauley missed seven cuts in 17 starts, with a notable tie for fifth at the Sanderson Farms Championship last fall being a highlight. This year, Cauley has shown significantly improved form with four top-25s and three top-10s in nine starts.
He tied for sixth at the Players Championship, a finish that was emotionally supported by his former Alabama teammate Justin Thomas. This performance was crucial in helping Cauley retain his PGA Tour card. He also tied for fourth at the Valspar Championship and fifth at the Valero Texas Open, currently standing 37th in the FedEx Cup standings with 553 points.
Cauley commented on his mindset, stating, “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.”
Michael Kim, Daniel Berger, and Viktor Hovland were also considered for this recognition.
Midseason breakout player of the year
Andrew Novak has experienced a consistent, albeit sometimes frustrating, progression on the PGA Tour. He finished outside the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings in his early years, requiring a return to the Korn Ferry Tour Championship to regain his card. He steadily improved his ranking in subsequent seasons.
The 30-year-old is currently playing the best golf of his career. He achieved a solo third place at the Farmers Insurance Open in January and tied for 13th in two signature events, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational.
Following a less active period during the Florida events, Novak tied for third at the Valero Texas Open and narrowly lost a playoff to Justin Thomas at the RBC Heritage. Last week, on his 100th tour start, Novak and Ben Griffin secured their first PGA Tour victories as a team at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Novak is now 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.
Novak reflected on his recent performances, stating, “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.” He added, “Yeah, it`s frustrating, but it`s also nice going into a tournament knowing you`re playing well.”
Other players considered for breakout recognition include Michael Kim, Ben Griffin, Joe Highsmith, Jacob Bridgeman, Brian Campbell, and Ryan Gerard.
Most surprising stat
The most surprising statistic is zero – the number of victories for Scottie Scheffler in his eight starts on tour this season. This is unexpected given he won nine times globally in 2024.
Scheffler`s performance hasn`t been poor since returning from a right hand injury sustained while cooking on Christmas Day. 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, and a solo fourth at the Masters in his bid for consecutive green jackets.
Even Scheffler acknowledges his game hasn`t been quite as sharp, particularly his putting, compared to his dominant 2024 form. Despite this, his statistics remain excellent: he is second on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: total (1.911) and tee to green (1.627), and fourth in strokes gained: approach (.942).
Best victory
The Masters, the season`s first major, delivered peak golf drama. The final round featured a compelling storyline with Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau, intense pressure on the back nine at Augusta National, and a stunning charge from Justin Rose.
Rose shot a final-round 6-under 66 and sank a crucial 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole, increasing the pressure on McIlroy, who had seen a four-stroke lead evaporate. McIlroy missed a 5-foot par putt on the 18th, resulting in a playoff with Rose.
On the first playoff hole (the 18th), Rose hit his approach to 15 feet. McIlroy responded by placing his second shot within 4 feet of the hole. Rose missed his birdie attempt, allowing McIlroy to sink his short putt to claim his first green jacket in his 11th Masters appearance.
McIlroy reflected on the moment: “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. He shot a bogey-free 59, featuring 12 birdies and six pars, during the opening round of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches.
Best shot
Following a double-bogey on the 14th hole in the Masters final round, Rory McIlroy hit what he called the “shot of a lifetime” on the 15th hole, which led to a crucial birdie.
Best putt
Justin Thomas, a two-time major champion, ended a nearly three-year winless streak by sinking a 20-foot birdie putt to win a playoff at the RBC Heritage in April.
Best drive
Rookie Aldrich Potgieter leads the tour in driving distance with an average of 324.1 yards off the tee. A highlight was his 374-yard drive recorded at the Mexico Open.
Worst drive
Even the best drivers have off days; 20-year-old South African Aldrich Potgieter notably topped a drive at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, showing it can happen to anyone.
Best attitude
Joel Dahmen displayed remarkable perspective after losing the Corales Puntacana Championship by one stroke to Garrick Higgo. He finished with three straight bogeys and missed a short putt on the 17th hole, yet maintained a positive mindset.
Best punt
Patton Kizzire`s visible reaction after missing a 5-foot par putt during the first round of the Valspar Championship was a memorable moment.
Best save
Chandler Phillips executed one of the best saves of the season in New Orleans, notably playing a shot near water potentially inhabited by alligators.
