Strong views, sharp analysis and stories that sparked debate — these were the opinion pieces our readers engaged with most in 2025.
Why the recent Cam Smith media pile-on is ‘over the top’ and needs to stop
Geez, we’re a forgetful bunch. It was only three years ago – almost to the week – that Australian sports fans and mainstream media were shouting from the rooftops, on breakfast television and on back pages that “our” Cameron Smith was a major winner and an Open champion at St Andrews.
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Why Rory McIlroy is right about Royal Melbourne. And wrong
The Northern Irishman needs to see Royal Melbourne in more guises before he can fully opine about its architectural merits.
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What’s more pressing, a ball rollback or getting golfers to play from the correct tees?
Asked if pushback from within the sport could cause the USGA to reconsider its plan and make adjustments before 2028, CEO Mike Whan reiterated they were “full-speed ahead on what we’ve announced.”
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The Real Score Is Jack 20, Tiger 18
Golf failed maths, but it’s not too late to correct the record.
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Still seeing red
Golf’s tee-marker debate refuses to go away
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A tale of two Premiers
In a piece of visionary thinking, South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas today revealed plans to transform a mediocre CBD golf facility into a world-class venue capable of hosting LIV Golf Adelaide.
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This drastic re-imagining is the perfect solution to the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs
The entire FedEx Cup playoffs should be overhauled, reduced in tournaments but increased in total players and re-imagined using a match play format with a twist – where top seeds compete in the first round to earn a bye or face a second chance saloon.
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A list of out-of-the-box, and potentially laughable, suggestions to properly reward the most consistent golfer all PGA Tour season
Earlier this year, the PGA Tour announced it would eliminate the controversial starting-strokes format from this month’s season-ending Tour Championship. The 2024 edition marked the fifth year with the adjusted scoring system at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. The FedEx Cup leader, Scottie Scheffler, started at 10-under-par (and eventually won), while second place teed off with an eight-under total and they all played 72 holes from there. But for this year’s Tour Championship from August 21-24, all 30 players in the field will start at even-par.
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Don’t stop believing
I’ve learnt you have to be the eternal optimist in this game, at any level, let alone when you’re trying to complete the career Grand Slam.
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A little slice of the Sandbelt in Perth
When I first played Mount Lawley Golf Club six years ago, I’ll confess that I didn’t think it was anything better than a good layout. Maybe a solid 7-out-of-10 course that was deserving of its place in the middle realms of our biennial Top 100 Golf Courses ranking.
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