Recap: The Best Of Golf In 2024

2024 is done and in the books! We recap the mad, the bad, the brilliant, the best and the weirdest moments in golf in 2024.

BEST MAJOR

US Open. Crushers captain Bryson Dechambeau won but Rory suffered some severe self-inflicted wounds (again). The long bunker shot Bryson played into the 18^th green was simply stunning.

BEST WIN

Xander Schauffele. It was a long time coming but Schauffele’s win at the PGA Championship was his first major. It was a victory welcomed by everyone.

BEST PICTURE

Rory McIlroy after his US Open devastation (below). It says it all, really.

BEST PERFORMANCE

Scottie Scheffler at the Paris Olympics. The world No.1 won nine times in 2024 but his final round 62 to win the gold medal underlined his immense talent.

BEST TEAM

Honourable mention to Grant Thornton winners Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit but Cam Smith’s Rippers GC won the LIV team championship in Dallas. They also claimed an intense play-off win against the Stingers on home soil at LIV Adelaide during the regular season and went back-to-back at LIV Singapore the following week.

BEST START TO THE SEASON

Nelly Korda. An early season tear saw the women’s world No.1 win six of her first seven starts. It included a win at the Chevron Championship, which was Nelly’s second major victory.

BEST COMEBACK

Italy's Matteo Manassero was a teen prodigy. At just 17 he turned pro and won his first European event, adding another four before he was 20. However, his game turned sour and he lost his card in 2018. Lost in the doldrums for years, Matteo ground his way back via the Challenge Tour then won a DP World Tour event in South Africa in March. Matteo was back, and he did it the hard way.

BEST DRIVER RELEASE

Callaway’s Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond had the coolest name and an X-factor that saw it dominate the big dog category.

BEST SIDE EYE

Neal Shipley. No one knows exactly what the Masters' leading amateur was looking at in Butler Cabin, but Shipley’s awkward reaction spawned an avalanche of golf memes.

BEST FILL-IN CADDIE

Scottish lefty Robert MacIntyre was homesick in his first season on the PGA Tour in 2024. So he brought a bit of home to him. At the Canadian Open in June, Bobby’s dad Dougie caddied for him. MacIntyre won and immediately returned home to Oban to celebrate the victory with his friends and family.

MOST SHOCKING STORY

In the dim early morning hours prior to the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla, Detective Bryan Gillis arrested world No.1 Scottie Scheffler for essentially soiling his police issue pants. You really could not script it.

BEST MUGSHOT

Scheffler’s mugshot in a prison-issue orange jumpsuit saw #freescottie trend on social media. It didn’t faze Scheffler, who was released just in time to play his second round of the PGA Championship and reeled off a jaw-dropping five-under 66. Criminal charges against Scheffler were ultimately dropped.

BEST IRONS

Bettinardi CB24 irons. They look cool and modern and feature a unique ceramic composite underneath their stainless steel skin.

BEST SOLO FINISH

Out of contention after a 36-hole Sunday, Matt Kuchar’s final group was racing to beat the descending darkness at the Wyndham Championship. However, Kuchar decided it was too dark and marked his ball after hitting his drive on the final hole, opting to finish his tournament on Monday — all by himself. His playing partners had played out and headed home on Sunday night but Kuchar returned Monday morning to make his par. The Tour employees and volunteers had to return also and were pleased to be able to eventually pack up and go home after eight minutes of action.

MOST VIRAL MOMENT

English LPGA star Charley Hull went viral at the 2024 US Open when she was pictured signing autographs with a flaming cigarette delicately balanced on the side of her mouth. The image subsequently went viral in mainstream sports and Hull was suddenly thrust into the spotlight. She later confessed she only starting smoking durries to help her quit her vaping habit. Hull won the Aramco Team Series Riyadh in Saudi Arabia in November.

SADDEST FAREWELL

Lexi Thompson announced her retirement this year but didn't get the send-off she deserved. A two-tee start for the final round of the Tour Championship saw her finish on the ninth hole in front of a handful of fans, rather than the grandstand finish down the 18th she'd no doubt desired. It was a low-key, embarassing end to a distinguished career. Lexi got kicked around by the game but always showed class and resilience. She deserved better.

THE CULT HERO

NSW’s Corey Lamb teed it up alongside Cam Smith at the NSW Open and immediately made an impact. Known as “Chops” to his mates, Lamb’s laidback demeanour and big personality endeared him to fans all over the world.

BEST LIV TOURNAMENT

LIV Adelaide. The Grange put on another spectacular tournament that culminated in a teams win for Ripper GC.

BEST BREAKTHROUGH

Elvis Smylie’s WA Open victory in Ocotber was his first win as a pro. Weeks later, he broke through to win the Australian PGA. The win gave him status on the DP World Tour for two years and gave headline writers in the media license to wheel out their best Elvis puns.

IF ONLY...

Anthony Quayle endured a challenging 2024 playing on the Japan Tour but was beginning to strike some decent form back home. At the Victorian PGA, he finished two shots behind the winner, Cory Crawford. It might’ve been a runaway win for Quayle had he not been penalised seven strokes after mistakenly taking several preferred lies in the first round.

WEIRDEST PUTTING STYLE

US President elect Donald Trump’s weird but effective putting style was there for all to see when he teamed up with Bryson Dechambeau in his Break 50 series. Bryson’s hole-in-one over his house challenge was also the most-watched golf content in 2024.

MOST OUTRAGEOUS SCORECARD

WA’s Jordan Doull started hot in the first round of the Victorian PGA. He was nine-under after the first 11 holes but the wheels came off heading back to the clubhouse. His final seven holes included three bogeys, a double and a quadruple that saw him shoot an even par round of 71.  

BEST TYRRELL HATTON MOMENT

The angriest man in golf looked disgusted after hitting his tee shot at the difficult 217m par three 17th hole at Pinehurst during the first round of the US Open. It was a severe drop kick and Tyrrell smashed his club into the turf. However, the ball sailed just over the front bunker, the fringe killed the ball’s pace and it finished 10 feet from the hole. The Englishman’s sheepish grin said it all.

BEST OUTFIT

Jason Day’s Malbon gear at the Masters. Day paired his Malbon parachute pants with a Malbon vest that resembled a packet of smokes. The combo looked dope but the green jackets of Augusta politely asked Day to remove said vest a couple of holes into his second round.

BEST PUTTER

Spider Tour X. Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler both dominated in 2024 using the TaylorMade flatstick.

BEST TIGER QUOTE

Xander Schauffele: “I like talking to Tiger so I can tell him he’s old and bad at golf.”

BEST HOMEMADE FAN SHIRT

Mad respect to the fan who had Scottie Scheffler’s mugshot printed on his T-shirt just hours after his arrest at the PGA Championship.