Our favorite Golf Digest portraits of 2025

We've said this for a few years now: The secret to good storytelling is more than simply smart and insightful words on a page or screen. It also calls for images that capture the essence of the subject, whether the demeanor of an individual, the mood of a moment or richness of place or thing. Golf Digest has long prided itself on capturing unique photos and portraits that bring stories into full relief. With that in mind, we look back at some of the portrait photography we were particularly proud of in 2025.

Scottie Scheffler

Photographer: Michelle Watt

We posed the question “Can anything rattle Scotie Scheffler?” in our Masters preview issue this past year. His response throughout 2025 seemed to be an empathic "No!" Despite having the start of his season delayed as he recovered from cutting his hand while making homemade ravioli, Scheffler proceeded to win six times, including two majors, and earn PGA Tour player-of-the-year honors for a fourth straight time. Meanwhile, we’re guessing somebody else handled the pasta at Christmas this year.

Tom Holland

Photographer: Chris Buck

Actors catching the golf bug is nothing new, but Tom Holland has used it to advance his career. During our interview from the March/April issue, the 29-year-old who has banked billions in box office as Spider Man explained how golf has allowed him to mix business and pleasure: “I think golf has been really helpful for me in terms of networking within the industry because it’s a very golf-heavy business,” says the Brit with the 2.5 handicap index. “I’ve actually got a deal point across in my contract playing golf. I met the producer I was negotiating with on a par 3. I stuck it closer than he did and won the deal point. It was something minor that we were fighting over, like agreeing to a driver or something like that.”

Rory McIlroy

Photographer: Michelle Watt

A nerve-wracking final round of the 2025 Masters for Rory McIlroy fans—not to mention the golfer himseslf—came with a happy ending as the Northern Irishman grabbed the green jacket that had eluded him for more than a decade and became the sixth male golfer to win the career Grand Slam. CBS on-course broadcaster Dottie Pepper walked with Rory the final two days and provided an impressive first-person account of the victory in our May issue. As for the cover image, well we got some time with McIlroy last fall ahead of his participation in The Match, and had this great portrait waiting for the next big Rory moment. Suffice it to say, he delivered.

Tiger Woods

Photographer: Stephen Denton

In launching his new apparel company, Sun Day Red, Tiger Woods wasn’t just approaching it as a side hustle. The 15-time major winner was determined to be fully involved, right down to product testing, after more than two decades repping Nike. “I didn’t anticipate him being as innovative as he is,” said Charley Hudak, Sun Day Red’s chief footwear designer, in our profile of the launch of Sun Day Red. “I’ve gotten texts from him at all hours with ideas and thoughts to consider. Some might roll their eyes when I say Tiger leaves no stone unturned when it comes to his shoes, but I’m not kidding. He’s a perfectionist.”

Min Woo Lee

Photographer: Chris McPherson

Before Min Woo Lee grabbed his first career PGA Tour title at the Texas Children’s Houston Open last March, he let us join him in his new hometown of Las Vegas as we showcased the Australian in our second annual Style Issue. And what did he share about his own style? “When I play golf, I dress smart and slick," he explained. "Off the course, I try to go as baggy as possible to be comfortable and free. It’s important to differentiate between business and chilling.”

Chaz Bowker

Photographer: Justin Bettman

Chaz Bowker already had an impressive YouTube following before he became a breakout player at the Internet Invitational this fall. While just 4-foot-4, the 28-year-old has played golf since he was a kid and still revels in surprising people with his game. “When I go to the same tee boxes as them, they look at me like, ‘What is this guy doing?’ ” he told Golf Digest for a story in our December/January issue. “I let them hit, and I go, 'Alright, I’ll probably be past your ball or next to it. Watch this.’ I just hit it, and they look at me like a madman. I’ll go, ‘Yep, sorry. It’s gonna be a long day for you.’ They’re just rattled completely.”

Butch Harmon

Photographer: Stephen Denton

A front-row seat to some of the most extraordinary final rounds in Masters history is something legendary instructor Butch Harmon shared with our readers in our March/April issue. He offered up some never-before-told stories of how his players—Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Jose Maria Olazabal—beat their nerves, battled their rivals and navigated an unrelenting Augusta National for the coveted green jacket. And he also shared the heartbreak of Greg Norman’s defeat in 1996. “I include this as one of my unforgettable Sundays because if you were there, it left a mark on you," he said. "A six-stroke lead over Nick Faldo going into the final round dwindled to three at the turn, then it all went sideways. Greg shooting 78 after three under-par rounds, including a record 63 on Thursday, still seems crazy. But that’s why they play four rounds.”

Bernhard Langer

Photographer: Jesse Rieser

With 47 wins on the PGA Tour Champions, no professional golfer has had more success after turning 50 than Bernhard Langer. It was only natural to ask the 68-year-old World Golf Hall of Famer his secrets of ageless golf. “Why do I think I’ve had so much success after turning 50?” he began in our December issue. “Well, first, I think I have good genes. My mother (Walburga) lived to 100. Also, I live reasonably clean. I sleep eight hours a day, don’t drink a lot of alcohol (though I like a shandy every now and then), and I’m not out all night partying. What else—I’ve exercised all my life and have been constantly working on the technique of my golf game. So why do I have more longevity? I really can’t say for sure, but all of those things contribute—and so does my keen desire to compete. I love competition, and I don’t mind practicing to stay sharp (but I have learned to take more time off as I get older and older). You have to listen to your body and brain and find the right balance of practicing and playing and knowing when to rest. I don’t hit hundreds of balls a day like I used to.”

Blake Griffin

Photographer: Josh Letchworth

Blake Griffin, a six-time NBA All-Star turned hoops announcer, counts himself among those who took up golf in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s a good, competitive outlet for me,” Griffin told us in our July issue. “I always make these stupid mistakes, and then you learn from it, and you move on. That’s what I absolutely love about golf. It’s a mental battle between your ears.” Griffin has become a regular on the sports-celebrity golf circuit, but he’s not hung-up on becoming a scratch player. “Even when I’m playing badly, I’m like, this is still awesome. I still get to hang out with some friends or some guys that I just met. It just brings perspective to my life that I maybe didn’t always have before.”

Keegan Bradley

Photographer: Stephen Denton

When we sat with Keegan Bradley for our Ryder Cup issue cover shoot in early August, the U.S. captain was still contemplating whether he’d pick himself as a player on his 2025 team. He didn’t, saying he wanted his focus to be entirely on leading the American side at Bethpage Black. It will be a decision that will be second-guessed forever, the U.S. losing to the Europeans and some contending if Bradley was inside the ropes, the outcome might have been different. In the wake of the defeat, Bradley hasn’t hidden his disappointment. As we learned when we sat with him, no one wanted to win the cup more than Keegan.

Linn Grant

Photographer: Mary Beth Koeth

Linn Grant, a two-time LPGA Tour winner, is only 26 years old, but the Swede has been around golf long enough to see things change—for the better—when it comes to women’s golf apparel. “When I was little there weren’t many options; I was wearing shorts that were too long and a baggy polo shirt that was probably for boys,” she told us during an interview with her in our Style issue. "Now, there are so many alternatives.” Dressing well, she says, helps her feel confident, even if that means she doesn’t have everything figured out. “I never feel like I have to fake anything or pretend to know what I’m doing. Whatever situation I’m in, I am just going to be myself. I have confidence in that."

Ryan Peake

Photographer: Wren Steiner

Golf has its fair share of redemption stories, but Ryan Peake’s might be among its most stunning. The 32-year-old Australian earned a spot into the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush by virtue of winning the New Zealand Open in March. It was particularly impressive considering Peake was a former biker-gang member who served five years in prison for assault. After getting out of jail in May 2019, Peake picked up the sport he played with some success as a junior while competing back then with the likes of Cameron Smith. “Deep down, my biggest worry was running out of time,” says Peake, who shared his comeback story in our July issue. “I started to know I was good enough to do it. I just didn’t know if I’d get the chances to prove it.” He didn’t make the cut at the Open, but proved an inspiration to many.