These 8 Tour Players Had Breakthrough Seasons

After taking a look at some PGA Tour stars who had disappointing 2025 campaigns, we are now heading into Labor Day weekend with a sunnier disposition.

These are the players who came alive this year. They either had career-best seasons or revitalized their game after previous struggles.

A theme? So many of these guys are later in their careers.

Sometimes it takes time to put everything together.

While it was another quiet year for many of golf’s established stars, the players on this list moved towards their own stardom.

8. Harry Hall

Holy Harry!

Through wildly consistent play—he’s made 17 consecutive cuts—Harry Hall has quietly ascended to No. 10 in Data Golf.

Hall didn’t have a single top-five finish the whole season but collected 15 (!) top-25 results. He made the Tour Championship and is a good bet to cash a nice check every week he plays.

Is he Ryder Cup ready? We’ll find out Monday when Luke Donald makes his picks.

7. Chris Gotterup

The 26-year-old Gotterup has been on the fast track to stardom.

A good year turned into a great one when he won the Scottish Open and then finished solo third at the Open Championship a week later. Reaching the Tour Championship and earning a T10 only solidified his breakout year.

Gotterup still has a lot to prove with consistency. He can crush the ball off the tee (sixth in Strokes Gained driving and eighth in driving distance) but lingers around Tour average for everything else.

6. Robert MacIntyre

While he couldn’t quite break through for a victory, MacIntyre kept putting himself in the thick of it at big events.

There was a solo second at the U.S. Open, a runner-up at the BMW Championship and a T7 at the Open Championship. Those are three huge events.

MacIntyre went from a middle-of-the-pack Tour pro to one of the most intriguing players in golf. He is now No. 13 in Data Golf and No. 9 in the OWGR.

He has started 25 events this year (a lot for a player of his caliber) and only missed one cut.

MacIntyre has done it all by being greater than the sum of his parts. He is good in all Strokes Gained categories, which makes him a strong course fit just about anywhere.

5. Harris English

You have to feel great for English. He was a strong player for much of 2020-2021 but injuries sent him tumbling down the rankings.

In 2025, it all came back to him.

English won at Torrey Pines early in the year and then had two runner-up major finishes at the PGA Championship and The Open. Unfortunately for him, Scottie Scheffler was in the field.

English was productive all year long and qualified for the U.S. Ryder Cup on points. His strength has been on the greens—he ranks No. 18 in Strokes Gained putting.

4. Russell Henley

The 36-year-old Henley turned into one of the game’s most reliable players in 2025. He won at Bay Hill and racked up nine other top-10 finishes, ascending to No. 5 in Data Golf.

Henley does it the hard way by modern golf standards. He is No. 159 on Tour for driving distance so he has to make up for his lack of power in other ways.

How exactly? Henley is 13th in Strokes Gained approach, sixth around the greens and 32nd on the greens.

Like English, he qualified for the U.S. Ryder Cup team on points.

3. Tommy Fleetwood

We know all about Fleetwood. His game is pure class.

Having said that, you still have to consider 2025 a breakout season for the 34-year-old Englishman.

For starters, he finally won a Tour event. Will the Tour Championship suffice? I think so.

But Fleetwood was also outstanding all season. He had six additional top-five finishes and only missed one cut, making his floor one of the highest of any top player.

Shockingly, Fleetwood is No. 2 in Data Golf. Only Scottie Scheffler is better.

Statistically, there are no holes in his game. Fleetwood is fourth in Strokes Gained tee-to-green and No. 15 in putting.

That combination is making his agent very rich.

2. Ben Griffin

The true definition of a breakout star, Griffin came from absolutely nowhere to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

With a stunning 10 top-15 finishes between the PGA Championship and Tour Championship, Griffin bought real estate on the first page of leaderboards all summer long (shoutout Kid Rock).

Griffin didn’t even play in the Masters, a problem he doesn’t have to worry about next year.

Why has he been so good? Griffin is well above average in all major Strokes Gained categories, with his worst ranking being 56th. He is a good ball striker and borderline great putter.

With no weakness in his game, Griffin has gone from desk job to overnight Tour success.

1. J.J. Spaun

Spaun earned his first major title at the U.S. Open and nearly won the Players Championship and FedEx St. Jude Championship.

He didn’t have the consistency of other players on this list but his ceiling in big moments was a lot higher.

In June 2024, Spaun was outside the top 160 in the world. Now he is in the top 20.

Interestingly, Spaun has a unique stat profile. He is not particularly long off the tee and he isn’t a great putter. His iron play (No. 7 in Strokes Gained approach) is what closes the gap on those deficiencies.

Do you agree that Spaun is the breakout star of 2025?

Let me know below in the comments.

Top Photo Caption: Ben Griffin emerged on the scene this year. (GETTY IMAGES/Andrew Clark)

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