Golf World’s “Newsmakers of the Year” package is always one of our favorite projects to work on. Treating readers to a comprehensive review of the previous 12 months allows us vicariously to rewind through the year’s highs and lows, and re-live some of the game’s special moments. The package dates back more than two decades to Golf World’s print-magazine days. Past No. 1s include Jack Nicklaus, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Annika Sorenstam and, not surprisingly, Tiger Woods. With the goal of offering hearty encore to the season, we continue the tradition by unveiling the top 25 Newsmakers of 2019 over the next two weeks. There will be a few clear choices—how can you have a top 25 this year without Brooks Koepka and the Solheim Cup on it?—but also some storylines that are less obvious yet, we think, no less worthy of our collective appreciation. —Ryan Herrington
No. 23: Jordan Spieth’s weekend woes
In one important way, things returned to normal for Jordan Spieth in 2019 as he finished second in strokes gained/putting after being a dismal 123rd the previous year. But for a disappointing second straight season, there were no first-place finishes on Sunday for the young star thanks in large part to a troubling trend. As consistently as the three-time major champ played fantastic golf on weekdays—he ranked ninth in first-round scoring and first on Fridays—he tumbled down leader boards just as often on the weekends with dismal rankings of 170th and 187th in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. “Historically, I’m a very consistent player,” Spieth said at the Northern Trust in August, where he was one shot off the 36-hole lead, but finished T-6. “I’ve lost a bit of that. I still have the firepower, but that consistency is what I’m trying to get back.” That will take a major improvement in strokes gained/off-the-tee (176th) and strokes gained/approach (145th). Fortunately for Spieth, 26, he still has a lot of time to figure things out. And that putter. —Alex Myers
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No. 24: Kyle Berkshire
With all due respect to John Daly, the “grip it and rip it” movement has a new leader. Kyle Berkshire, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound former college golfer from Crofton, Md., sports longer hair than JD did in his peak mullet days. He also bombs the golf ball distances the longest PGA Tour pros don’t dream of. “If I’m hitting the ball on the center of the face, if I’m optimizing my speed … I’m going to win,” Berkshire said ahead of September’s World Long Drive Championship. “That’s just the way it is.” The 22-year-old was right, although he made things dramatic by needing to find the grid with his eighth and final swing to advance in the Round of 16 and dodging a rules controversy (Yes, these pop up even in long-drive contests). His winning drive went 406 yards, giving Berkshire his third victory on the long-drive circuit in 2019 and making it five times in six starts that he finished first or second. Berkshire credits his North Texas golf coach, Brad Stracke, for suggesting he give long drive a try during his sophomore year when he was recording eye-popping ball speeds off his clubface (he set a long-drive record this year, hitting one 228 mph). Originally, Berkshire hoped it would give him confidence to help his overall golf game. But while he certainly gained that confidence, he wound up finding a new career pursuit altogether. Long live long drive’s new king.—Alex Myers
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No. 25: Tony Romo
He didn’t become the 50,000-to-1 long-shot winner of the Safeway Open that the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook projected, but Tony Romo had a two-under-par 70 in the first round in Napa, Calif., that surprised prognosticators and fans alike—and changed public perceptions. The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback took over the golf world for 24 hours just as he had on the gridiron every Sunday for a decade. Over the past few years, the 39-year-old has cemented himself as an amateur golf professional—playing four times in PGA Tour events on sponsor’s exemptions. It wasn’t until Safeway in September, though, that he truly turned heads as a golfer. When Romo signed his scorecard that Thursday, he was tied for 20th, only five shots behind early leader Adam Scott. He even took down his two playing partners, Beau Hossler and Michael Gellerman. Yes, a Friday 78 kept him from getting the chance to play two more rounds. Still, just as some were wondering how long the sponsor’s exemptions might continue, Romo showed maybe he actually did deserve them. We’re not going to be adding him to our “Golfers that will define 2020” list, but it might behoove CBS to continue to have a backup plan for broadcasting teams just in case Romo makes a weekend cut next year. —Greg Gottfried
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