As the PGA Tour calendar draws to a close, there is no doubt that it has been an exceptional year for golf.
From Rory McIlroy’s win at Augusta to Scottie Scheffler’s dominance in Portrush, 2025 has truly delivered.
But what about the golfers that we don’t see too often? The ones that go under the radar?
There have been plenty of stars who have risen up over the past year and have started to create a name for themselves in the golfing world.
From the USA to Asia, here are some of the best upcoming golfers that 2025 has given us.
Five rising stars during the 2025 PGA Tour
Akshay Bhatia (USA)
After making his professional debut in 2019, Akshay Bhatia’s PGA Tour win came in 2023 at the Barracuda Championship.
This was closely followed by a win in the Valero Texas Open in 2024 – a win that saw him qualify for The Masters for the first time.
2025 saw Bhatia compete at The Masters for the second time, where he finished four over par. He has finished in the top 10 on three occasions this year.
He finished in T30 at this year’s Open Championship in Portrush, an improvement on last year where he failed to make the cut.
Bhatia seems to be on the right track to become a future major champion and isn’t the only young American who has impressed this year.
Michael Thorbjornsen (USA)
If anyone has adapted quickly to life on the PGA Tour, then it is America’s Michael Thorbjornsen.
The 23-year-old only turned professional in 2024 and has since played at 37 events, making the cut in 20 of those and finishing in the top 10 on seven occasions.
His highlight of 2025, and his career so far – finishing T41st at the 2025 PGA Championship, which saw JJ Spaun claim victory.
Tom Kim (KOR)
The 23-year-old from South Korea has become one of the most exciting rising golfers since making his professional debut in 2018.
Kim has won three PGA Tour titles and has been runner-up on two occasions as well, one of these being at the Open Championship in 2023.
He is currently ranked 89th in the world and recently finished T52 in The Masters and T33 at the US Open.
Nicolai Hojgaard (NOR)
Nicolai Hojgaard is one of the most exciting golfers to come out of Europe in the last few years.
Hojgaard, 24, is already a Ryder Cup winner after winning in Rome in 2023 and is one of the many contenders to make the team this year too.
His string of solid finishes on top of his victory at the Dubai Desert Classic has made him a fan favourite and a tour regular.
Ludvig Aberg (SWE)
Since making his debut in 2023, Ludvig Aberg has consistently competed at the top level, the most recent of these at the Open Championship, where he pocketed $138,000 for his T23 finish.
The Swede was runner-up in last year’s Masters Tournament, and while he had to settle for seventh in this year’s contest, he still proved that he is more than capable of competing at the highest level.
Ranked 14th in the world currently, Aberg has definitely had the most success on this list, and at just 24, it is hard not to predict he will be a major champion one day.