Bernard Gallacher’s 2024 review of the year
It’s that time of year again when we sit down, take stock,
and look back at everything that’s happened in golf over the last 12 months.
And we’ve done just that. We caught up with three-time European Ryder Cup captain and Golf Care ambassador Bernard Gallacher to chat through all things golf in 2024.
From the year’s ups and downs, stand-out performers, and everything we can expect for 2025—he had a lot to say. Read on for more.
Scottie Scheffler: The Masters
For me, the stand-out player was Scottie Scheffler, who finished the year top of the World Golf Rankings and was the number one player on the PGA Tour. He had a superb season, winning eight times, including The Masters, The Players, and the end-of-season Tour Championship. That’s a total winnings of around $62 million, so there’s obviously no need for him to join LIV just yet!
He also took a week off from the PGA Tour to win Olympic
Gold for the US at Le Golf National in Paris. Week in and week out, he’s
the most consistent player in the world, so he deserves all the plaudits. He
played in 19 events this year and finished in the top 10 in 16 of them!
His game has no weaknesses, and he works hard on his fitness during the close season, too. Without a doubt, there’s a lot more to come from him.
Xander Schauffele: The Open & USPGA Championship
In any other year, Xander Schauffele would have quite
rightfully expected to be crowned player of the year after his Open win at
Royal Troon in July.
His flawless 65 final round enthralled the galleries, and his final hole birdie held off Bryson DeChambeau to win the USPGA at Valhalla in May, too—but Scheffler trumps him for me. It was a very close call, though.
Bryson DeChambeau: US Open
DeChambeau is high on my list because he’s an exciting,
charismatic player. Of course, he also won the US Open at Pinehurst this year.
He always seems to be smiling and hits it enormous distances
off the tee, which the galleries always like. He was also runner-up at the
USPGA Championship and finished a credible T6th at The Masters.
For someone who plies his trade on the LIV Tour—where you play 54 holes, and there are only 13 events on the calendar—it does make you wonder how well he would fare if he played a full schedule. There’s a strong case for LIV and the PGA Tour to agree on a deal just so that we can see Bryson DeChambeau more often!
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy measures his success in terms of Majors, but
that may be a tad harsh. He’s still had a great 2024 despite his slip-up at the
US Open.
Nevertheless, he won twice on the PGA Tour, finished 3rd at the end of the season in the FedEx rankings, and is now sitting 3rd in the World Golf Rankings. He supports his home Tour, the DP World Tour, and
finished runner-up in the Irish Open at Royal County Down.
He then won the season-ending DP World Tour Championships in Dubai—at the same time, he picked up his 6th Race to Dubai title and equalled Seve Ballesteros’ record, which he was clearly emotional about. However, more importantly, he finished his year off with a confidence-boosting win from a very strong field. He can now look forward to 2025 after a well-earned break.
Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer is one of the most remarkable players of all
time. He obviously had a highly successful playing career: two Masters
wins, 42 wins on the European Tour, World Golf Hall of Fame, 10 times Ryder Cup
player, 2004 Ryder Cup captain— the list goes on. But since turning 50 and
joining the Champions Tour, he’s arguably exceeded everything he did before!
Langer has dominated the Champions Tour, winning every year
since he joined in 2007—that’s 47 wins! He tore his Achilles early on in 2024
and spent a lot of time away from the game, probably thinking at 67 that his
career might be over. However, he somehow got himself back to fitness and won
the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup, holing a 30-foot putt on the final hole to
extend his wins to 48.
What a player. He is the consummate professional on and off the golf course and has conducted himself excellently throughout his long career. I feel very privileged to know him.
Women’s golf: my 3 stand-out performers
Nelly Korda is easily the stand-out player in women’s
golf this year. She’s already number one on the World Golf Rankings and number
one player on the LPGA Tour. She had an outstanding 2024 season, winning 6 in 7
and clinching the LPGA Player of the Year trophy. Her effortless, rhythmical
swing makes the game look easy.
Charley Hull plays on the LPGA Tour and the Ladies
European Tour. She’s a popular player who beat Nelly Korda 6/4 in the top
singles in this year’s Solheim Cup. She has come close to winning Majors in the
past, so there’s no reason she can’t take her game up a level in 2025.
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko has been winning golf tournaments since she turned professional as a 16-year-old in 2013—that’s 30 tournaments worldwide, including 22 of them on the LPGA. Ko’s success continued in 2024 when she did something very special: she won the Women’s Open at St Andrews, making it 3 Major wins now on her CV.
She also won Women’s Gold at the Olympics and finished the year by being inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame. At 27, she’s the youngest player to be inducted. It’s fair to say there’s plenty more to come from this remarkable player.
Solheim Cup
The 2024 Solheim Cup saw Europe trying (but sadly failing) to
retain the cup on American soil.
In recent years, I have found the matches much more exciting
to watch than some of the one-sided Ryder Cup ones. Since 2015, there has never
been more than two points separating the teams, which makes it an exciting last
day of Singles to watch on TV (better still if you can be there in person!)
This year was no different. Although the Europeans were behind going into the Singles, they staged a fightback led by Charley Hull, who beat Nelly Korda in the top match. Unfortunately, they ran out of steam and eventually lost by three points. Nevertheless, it was great to watch, and I look forward to the Netherlands in 2026.
Golfing disappointments in 2024
The biggest disappointment in golf this year, for me, was
the failure (so far) of the PGA Tour and LIV in finding a solution to their
issues and reaching some sort of deal that allows the best players in the world
to play against each other more often.
With TV golf ratings dropping substantially, we ideally need to see players from all Tours teeing up against each other more regularly—not just at the Majors.
What can we expect in 2025?
For me, 2025 is all about the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
I can’t help feeling that the US players have somewhat shot
themselves in the foot by asking to be paid to play in the Ryder Cup. Not only
do I think it’s wrong on a moral level (as all money generated from the
tournament goes back into improving grassroots golf), but I can see a scenario whereby
if things don’t go their way, the American public may even be hostile to their
own team. Either way, it should help the Europeans.
In my opinion, if a player needs to be paid to represent their country in the Ryder Cup, they’re not the right choice, and other players will always be willing to step forward.
Enjoy the off-season, and here’s to a great year of golf in
2025!
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