February 2025: the Must-See Competitions on the PGA Tour (🏆*post updated with the Winners)
- clairebambino
- Jan 29
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 3
🗓🏌🏽♂️FEBRUARY 2025 ⛳️
🇺🇸 🏌🏽♂️ Waste Management Phoenix Open – Feb 6-9, 2025 – TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course), Arizona • USA
🧐 The WM Phoenix Open has a rich history dating back to 1932. Between 1932 and 1935, the tournament was first held as the Arizona Open but was discontinued due to lack of support. In 1939, Bob Goldwater Sr., an avid golfer, revived the event, and it became known as the Phoenix Open. In 1987, the tournament moved to TPC Scottsdale, where it has been held ever since.
Scottsdale Golf Course, Arizona The WM Phoenix Open, known as "The Greatest Show on Grass" is renowned for its electric atmosphere. The tournament, held at TPC Scottsdale, is famous for its Stadium Course's par-3 16th hole - known as the "People's Hole"⛳️ - which is transformed into a fully enclosed arena that seats roughly 16,000 raucous fans, creating an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in golf. The tournament regularly attracts the largest crowds in golf, often exceeding 200,000 spectators per day, and is scheduled to coincide with 🏈 Super Bowl weekend, making it a major sporting and social event in the Phoenix area. It is more than just a golf tournament; it's a week-long part: fans come dressed in colorful attire, and the event often features live music and other entertainment.
🔎 The 2024 event made headlines for unprecedented scenes when organizers had to close the gates to spectators for the first time in tournament history due to overwhelming crowds and weather conditions, temporarily stopping alcohol sales.
Many legendary golfers have competed in the WM Phoenix Open, including Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
📐 The🇺🇸architects responsible for the design of TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course are Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish (1936-2015). They were tasked with creating a course that would provide a thrilling spectator experience and a challenging test for professional golfers. Tom Weiskopf (1942-2022) was a legendary golfer in his own right, winning 16 PGA Tour events, including the 1973 Open Championship.
🏆 The 2024 edition saw Nick Taylor emerge victorious after a thrilling playoff against 🇺🇸 Charley Hoffman. Taylor began the tournament with a bang, shooting a course-record 60 in the first round. This tied the largest lead after 18 holes on the PGA Tour since 1983. Despite a strong start, Taylor found himself trailing Charley Hoffman by three shots with four holes to play in the final round. However, he rallied with birdies on holes 15, 16, and 18 to force a playoff with Hoffman. The playoff was equally dramatic. Both players birdied the first extra hole. On the second playoff hole, Taylor sealed the victory with a clutch 11-foot birdie putt, securing his fourth PGA Tour title.
💰 Purse: $9,200,000
💯 Fedexcup: 500 pts
Previous winner: 🇨🇦 Nick Taylor ($1,584,000)
🏆 Winner 2025: 🇧🇪 Thomas Detry ($1,656,000) - Age: 32 - Turned Pro in 2016.
🍾 It is a historic victory since Thomas Detry became the 1st Belgian golfer to win on the PGA Tour.
He finished at -24 with a 7-shot lead over Daniel Berger and Michael Kim. One of the highlights of the final round was his birdie on hole 16. With this achievement, Detry secures a place in the top 50 of the world rankings (#22) and in the top 5 of the FedEx Cup Ranking (#2). He also secures a card on the PGA Tour until 2027.
🇺🇸 🏌🏽♂️ The Genesis Invitational – Feb 13-16, 2025 – The Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California • USA
The event, which has been elevated to Signature Event status, features an elite limited field and pays tribute to its rich history dating back to 1926, when it began as the Los Angeles Open. 🔎 Signature Events are a new category of PGA Tour events introduced in 2024. These events are characterized by:
Limited Fields: a smaller field of top-ranked golfers, ensuring higher quality competition.
Increased Prize Pools: larger purses to attract top talent.
Enhanced FedExCup Points: more points awarded to the winner, making them more significant for the FedExCup standings.
⛳️ In 1973, the tournament moved permanently to Riviera Country Club, known as "Hogan's Alley" due to Ben Hogan's success there. It is consistently ranked among the world's finest courses and presents a unique challenge with its classic design, kikuyu grass fairways, and demanding eucalyptus-lined holes. The tournament is particularly notable for being one of the few PGA Tour events that Tiger Woods has played multiple times without winning, adding an intriguing subplot to its storied legacy.
Tiger Woods made his professional debut at the tournament in 1992 and in 2020, the tournament was rebranded as the Genesis Invitational, with Tiger Woods becoming the tournament host.
📐 The primary architect of Riviera Country Club is 🇺🇸 George C. Thomas Jr. (1873-1932).
🌟 Riviera Country Club, the host course, is a favorite of celebrities. Many Hollywood stars, including Mark Wahlberg and Adam Sandler, are members of the club. Riviera Country Club will host the 2026 U.S. Women's Open and the 2028 Olympic Golf events.
The 2024 tournament saw Hideki Matsuyama claim an impressive victory with a remarkable final-round 62, finishing at -17 for a three-shot win over 🇺🇸 Will Zalatoris and 🇺🇸 Luke List.
💰 Purse: $20,000,000
💯 Fedexcup: 700 pts
Previous winner: 🇯🇵 Hideki Matsuyama ($4,000,000)
🏆 Winner 2025: 🇸🇪 Ludvig Aberg ($4,000,000) - Age: 25 - Turned Pro in 2023.
Young Swede Ludvig Åberg won the 2025 Genesis Invitational with an impressive performance, scoring 4 birdies in 6 holes over the final third of the course. This victory, Åberg's 2nd on the PGA Tour in less than 2 years, moved him into the FedEx Cup lead and back into 4th place in the world rankings. He is one shot ahead of Maverick McNealy. This victory marks a major comeback for Åberg, who had undergone knee surgery a few months earlier.
🇲🇽 🏌🏽♂️ Mexico Open – Feb 20-23, 2025 – VidantaWorld, Puerto Vallarta • Mexico
The Mexico Open has a rich history dating back to 1944. It has been held at various iconic courses throughout Mexico, including Club de Golf Chapultepec and Vidanta Vallarta.
Over the years, the tournament has been sanctioned by different tours, including the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Latinoamérica, Web.com Tour (now known as the Korn Ferry Tour and the Nationwide Tour (now defunct).
🦈 The tournament, played on the picturesque Greg Norman-designed course at Vidanta Vallarta, challenges players with its coastal winds, strategic bunkering, and tropical hazards while offering stunning views of the Sierra Madre mountains ⛰. Greg Norman, often referred to as the "Great White Shark" - due to his aggressive playing style, his distinctive blond hair, and the shark logo he often uses; this nickname was given to him after his impressive performance at the 1981 Masters Tournament - is an Australian professional golfer turned golf course designer. As a player, Norman achieved numerous accolades, including two Open Championships and two Players Championships. He was a dominant force on the PGA Tour during the 1980s and 1990s, often competing against the legendary rivalry between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. After retiring from professional golf, Norman transitioned into golf course design. His company, Greg Norman Golf Course Design, has created numerous world-class courses across the globe.
⛳️ The course setup, combining wide fairways with challenging green complexes, typically produces exciting golf and tests players' abilities to manage their games in varying wind conditions while navigating the unique challenges of playing at sea level in a tropical climate.
Jake Knapp secured his first PGA Tour victory at the 2024 edition, shooting an impressive -19 to finish two shots ahead of 🇫🇮 Sami Valimaki, marking a breakthrough moment in his career.
💰 Purse: $7,000,000
💯 Fedexcup: 500 pts
Previous winner: 🇺🇸 Jake Knapp ($1,458,000)
🏆 Winner 2025: 🇺🇸 Brian Campbell ($1,260,000) - Age: 31 - Turned Pro in 2015.
Brian Campbell secured his 1st PGA Tour victory at the 2025 Mexico Open in a dramatic fashion. After a tense final round at Vidanta Vallarta, Campbell found himself in a playoff against Aldrich Potgieter. The turning point came on the second playoff hole when Campbell's tee shot, which seemed destined for out-of-bounds, fortuitously bounced off a tree and back into play. This lucky break allowed him to stay in the game and ultimately sink a crucial birdie putt to clinch the win. The victory not only marked Campbell's maiden PGA Tour title but also secured him a 2-year exemption, invitations to prestigious events like the Masters and the PGA Championship, and a significant financial reward of $1.26 million. This triumph is a testament to Campbell's perseverance and skill, capping off a decade-long journey in professional golf
🇺🇸 🏌🏽♂️ Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches – Feb 27-Mar 2, 2025 – PGA National Resort (The Champion Course), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida • USA
The Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches - formerly known as The Honda Classic - represents one of the premier events on the PGA Tour's Florida swing.
The tournament's rich history, dating back to 1972, includes victories by golf legends like Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, and Rory McIlroy.
⛳️ The tournament's signature challenge is the infamous "Bear Trap" - a daunting three-hole stretch (holes 15-17) designed by Jack Nicklaus that has become one of golf's most feared sequences, combining water hazards with challenging winds to test players' nerves and skill. The Champion Course, which has hosted the event since 2007, is known for consistently ranking among the most difficult courses on Tour, particularly when the characteristic Florida winds pick up.
The 2024 tournament saw Austin Eckroat capture his maiden PGA Tour victory in impressive fashion, finishing at -17 for a three-shot victory over 🇦🇺 Min Woo Lee.🏌🏽♂️Born in 1999, in Oklahoma, Austin Eckroat honed his skills at Oklahoma State University, where he was a four-time All-American and a member of the victorious 2018 NCAA Championship team. He turned professional in 2021 and impressed on the Korn Ferry Tour, earning his PGA Tour card for the 2023 season.
💰 Purse: $9,200,000
💯 Fedexcup: 500 pts
Previous winner: 🇺🇸 Austin Eckroat ($1,620,000)
🏆 Winner 2025: 🇺🇸 Joe Highsmith ($1,656,000) - Age: 24 - Turned Pro in 2022.
Joe Highsmith claimed an impressive victory at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches 2025, marking his first PGA TOUR title. With scores of 7-under 64 in the final two rounds, Highsmith finished at 19-under, beating his rivals by two shots. His outstanding performance, including his remarkable putting game, enabled him to make the biggest comeback of the final round of the 2025 season, going four shots up. This victory earned him a prize of 1.656 million dollars, consolidating his place among the emerging talents of professional golf.
