8 golf moments I’m thankful for in 2024

Alright, here’s how this script will work. I took a handful of superlatives and gave each one a golf moment or two from 2024. All of these — sweet, hilarious, and downright funny — earned a superlative for their entertainment value. Enjoy.

Healthy

There’s something special about golfers and their dads. Maybe because dads are usually the ones who introduce the game to their kids, and definitely because parents are the biggest cheerleaders. So forgive me for tearing up when Bob MacIntyre earned his first PGA Tour victory the same week he welcomed his father as his caddy. Talk about a dream come true.

Honorable mention

I would be remiss not to mention Matt Kuchar stunt on the 18th fairway in the Wyndham Championship under this superlative. DeChambeau took the cake here for obvious reasons, including the fact that his sign carry was harmless. The Kuchar thing was both completely ridiculous AND Weirdly confusing, but it made social media gold.

The sweetest

There’s one day a year on the golf calendar that’s absolutely perfect in every way: the Wednesday of the Masters. The practice rounds are winding down and the preparation is over. It’s prime season and you can feel the excitement in the early spring air.

And, most importantly, it is Masters Par-3 Contest.

As incredible as the days of the Masters tournament are, Wednesday will always be my favorite day at Augusta National. There’s nothing like golfers relaxing with their families for some Par-3 Championship fun, and it’s the sweetest day of the year.

I’m not really sure how all professional players have such well-behaved children, because me and my siblings would probably have fought on live television if we’d been in the spotlight. There would be at least one meltdown for every hole, and someone would probably get out of anger. But not the children of professional players. They bring their A-game to this competition every year.

I can’t in good faith give the sweetest moment to a golfing family here, so I’m declaring the whole day wins. Maya Fowler, Sammy Spieth, Iris Lowry, Frankie Fleetwood and Dakota Watson: Congratulations! You melted the cold hearts of overworked adults everywhere for a brief moment in April.

That reminds me I really need to get behind the scenes here. How on earth was McIlroy convinced to do that? Why was a karaoke party happening at the Zurich Classic? Can this happen in more events? Should other sports start incorporating a karaoke session into their awards ceremony?

the personal

I wanted to reflect on some of my favorite golfing moments from 2024, and two immediately came to mind. First there was the Solheim Cup. The entire week was unlike any other golfing experience I’ve had. It was intense. it Was thus fun. And most importantly, it was filled with golf fans of all ages. My favorite moment of the week was watching Nelly Korda and Charley Hull arrive in the first set to start the Sunday Singles matches. The energy was insane as two of the most popular players on the planet made their way to the tee. I remember I was thus excited for that match. I would relive this day in a heartbeat!