Much of this year has been dominated by big-name stars.
Rory McIroy opened the tournament with famous wins at Pebble Beach, TPC Sawgrass and Augusta National.
Scottie Scheffler picked up the baton, winning the PGA Championship and the British Open.
Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose also had success, and eventually Xander Schauffele did too.
But who are the breakout stars of 2025?
Here are eight of the best.
1.JJ Spann
The Californian had finished in the top three on the PGA Tour just six times in 10 seasons before 2025, but he’s had another five top-three finishes this year alone.
He did have one win in his past tournament – the 2022 Texas Open – but he went one better this year in stunning style. He almost did it when he pushed Rory McIlroy into a play-off at The Players Championship, and he did it when he won the U.S. Open in June. He also impressed in his Ryder Cup debut, winning two of three matches.
He ends 2024 ranked 119th in the world and ends 2025 in the top ten. Undoubtedly the breakout player of the year.
2. Ben Griffin
The North Carolina native would have won this title in any normal year. In fact, he was labeled “Span Lite” because his transition was much the same but lacked the brilliance of a major champion.
For his part, he already has three top-three finishes before 2025, adding four more this year, including a win at the New Orleans Duals and then again at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Like Spahn, he was making his Ryder Cup debut (winning one of two events). Last year he was ranked 65th in the world, and in 2025 he will be ranked in the top 20.
Not quite up to Spann’s standards, but he wins the romance vote because just a few years ago, he gave up gaming and accepted an office job. It’s worth giving it a second thought!
3. Marco Penger
The PGA Tour is still one level above the DP World Tour, which explains why England’s Marco Penger can only finish third despite winning three times.
Those wins came after he needed a birdie on the final hole of the 2024 season to keep his hand, while also serving a three-month ban (one month suspended) for a betting violation. The first victory came in late April and he persevered, narrowly missing out on Ryder Cup selection.
His jump in the world rankings was astounding. From outside the top 400 at the beginning of the year to inside the top 50 – he will play on the PGA Tour in 2026.
4. Chris Gottrup
The Maryland native’s win at last year’s Myrtle Beach Classic drew attention to his potential, but he went on to compete in 20 events with just two top-40 finishes (and none in the top 20) and a final ranking of just 191st in the world in 2024.
He was solid in the early summer and then came to Linksland like a local, winning the Scottish Open and finishing third in the Open. He even finished in the top 10 at the lucrative Tour Championship and was ranked in the top 50 in the world by the end of the year.
5. Cameron Young
Can we consider the 28-year-old New York native a breakout golfer? After all, he did have seven top-three finishes on the PGA Tour before the start of the year.
The problem is they’re both second and third. Winning is elusive, and so is consistent putting. But his work on the greens improved in early summer, and with that came confidence.
His winning breakthrough came at the Wyndham Championship in July, and he followed that up with three points in four Ryder Cup matches. He will be a major threat in 2026.
6. Ryan Fox
The New Zealander, the son of rugby great All Black flyhalf Grant, is a four-time DP World Tour winner, including the flagship BMW PGA Championship in 2023, so there’s no doubting his quality.
However, he had no success in the United States. In fact, he had just three top-10s in 53 starts before the Myrtle Beach Classic in May. He won that game and some might shrug it off as a weakness. So he proved it with his second victory at the Canadian Open.
7. Michael Brennan
The winner of last year’s inaugural Bank of Utah Championship was Matt McCarty. This was only his third start on the PGA Tour, having already recorded three wins in Division II events earlier this year. This year Michael Brennan won the same event, making only his third start in the premier class and following three wins earlier in the year (he won in the third division).
McCarty was a bunt hitter who struggled much of the season thereafter. Brennan, however, was a different story. In fact, he is a good batsman and his reputation will surely improve further by 2026.
8. Robert McIntyre
Like Young, it feels a little strange to think of the Scot as a breakout star, but there’s a sense he’s taken another step in the class. Because it would be good to win the DP World Tour Triple Crown before this year. And winning twice on the PGA Tour in 2024 would be even better. His Ryder Cup debut in 2023 was also outstanding.
But in 2025, he almost won the U.S. Open, and while he didn’t score as many points at this year’s Ryder Cup, he had arguably more influence on the outcome. He rode the momentum to capture the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and by the end of the year was in the top ten in the world.
Continue reading: What happened to Colin Morikawa? The story behind the gradual decline
