Another year of college and amateur golf is in the books.

As the year winds down, it’s time to look back at some of the best moments throughout the year in the college and amateur game. Whether it was teenagers breaking out on a national stage or established players making history in their own journey, it was an exciting year for fans who follow golf up-and-coming stars.

Let’s take a look back at some of the biggest stories of the year, starting with perhaps the biggest breakout of them all.

Mason Howell’s arrival

First, Howell won medalist honors at a U.S. Open qualifier to earn his first major championship start. Then he won medalist honors at the U.S. Junior Amateur. That wasn’t enough. He got into the U.S. Amateur match-play bracket via a playoff and proceeded to win the biggest amateur championship in the world and represented the U.S. on the Walker Cup team, going 2-1. Mason Howell is here.

Northwestern upsets Stanford for NCAA title

As time goes on, we’ll be able to look at this result and truly measure its significance in the sport, but Northwestern knocking off No. 1 Stanford in the championship match at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship is arguably the biggest upset in women’s college golf history. Anything can happen in match play, and Northwestern pulled off the miraculous win for its first championship in school history.

Walker Cup at Cypress Point

It’s hard to describe what an incredible week it was at the Walker Cup. Cypress Point is one of the cathedrals of golf in the entire world, ranked No.1 on Golfweek’s Best list of Classic Courses in the U.S., and it was a perfect venue for many of the best amateurs in the U.S. and Great Britain & Ireland to battle it out. The crowds were spectacular, sights breathtaking and Cypress Point got to show off in primetime. Hard to find how it wasn’t an unforgetable week for players and fans alike.

Megha Ganne’s crowning moment

From one Pacific coast beauty to another, Bandon Dunes was spectacular theater for the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur, but perhaps it’s fitting that Megha Ganne found a way to come out on top. She’s long been a star in the game of golf, but her triumph at Bandon Dunes was her crowning achievement on one of the biggest stages in golf. She was spectacular all week in Oregon and got to hoist the trophy after a dominant week.

Luke Clanton’s stellar run

Luke Clanton was a professional for more than half the year, but the first five months of 2025 belonged to Clanton in the amateur game. The former No. 1 earned his PGA Tour card thanks to his play in those events, and he also dominated at the collegiate level, winning the Ben Hogan Award and nearly claiming the Fred Haskins, too. Now, it seems he’s due for his first PGA Tour win in 2026.

Lottie Woad’s remarkable consistency

From one former Florida State No. 1 amateur to another, Woad was a constant presence near the top of leaderboards all year. So much so, that she won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur and then finished third at the Amundi Evian Championship, locking up her LPGA card and turning pro the next week. And then guess what? She went and won the women’s Scottish Open. She won the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur to put her on the map, but she was destined to be a star long before.

LPGA’s LEAP makes debut

And how did Woad get her card? LEAP is how. The program, which is similar to PGA Tour University in that college players earn points based on finishes in top college and amateur events to provide a pathway directly to the Tour, had a stellar debut with Woad earning her card after the third-place finish at the Amundi Evian. Don’t be surprised to see Kiara Romero earn her LPGA card via the same pathway in 2026.

Division II history

There was a college golfer who made Division II history this fall. Drew Zielinski, a senior at Lee University, won the Golfweek Fripp Island to Bermuda Invitational, becoming the first player to win a D-II event that offered an exemption into a PGA Tour event. He later played in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, where he finished T-15 in the field in birdies made but just missed the cut.

College golfers save man from drowning

Two golfers at Purdue Fort Wayne jumped into an icy pond to save a man from drowning. What an incredible story of heroism.

Two aces, same hole, same day

Niel Phillips had a day he will never forget in October. He aced the same hole not once, but twice in the same day. Phillips began the first round on Monday on the 182-yard hole, and he pulled a 6-iron and made it on his first shot of the day. He shot even-par 72 in the opening round before returning to the eighth hole in the afternoon for the second shotgun start of the day. This time, he hit a 7-iron. Different club, same result. His second ace in about 6 hours in the same spot where he made the first one.

Carla Bernat Escuder joins Augusta legends

Seve. Jose Maria. Sergio. Jon. Carla. Carla Bernat Escuder added her name to the list of Spanish legends who have won at Augusta National, becoming the first woman from Spain to win the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

A 59 (in a practice round)

It’s coming. A 59 in a college golf event is going to happen soon, possibly in the spring. It happened early this year in a practice round, with Utah’s Sergio Jimenez accomplishing the feat. But how long until it happens in competition?

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Looking back at the best moments from college and amateur golf in 2025