As the year 2025 comes to a close, we take a look back at some of the prominent figures in the golf world that we lost.
And that includes one of our own. Steve DiMeglio, who covered golf for USA TODAY and Golfweek, lost his battle with cancer at the beginning of the year.
A graduate of Mankato West High School in Minnesota and later Minnesota State University, DiMeglio began his professional career as a journalist in 1994 at the Palm Springs Desert Sun. He moved to the media company Gannett in 1999, joined USA TODAY in 2000 and a couple of years later took over as the full-time golf beat writer. Gannett acquired Golfweek in 2016, and DiMeglio’s byline began to appear under the Golfweek banner in 2019. He continued to write for Golfweek until 2023.
Steve DiMeglio
Read: Steve DiMeglio was a Golfweek/USA Today golf reporter who covered the PGA Tour
Mary Bryan
Read: Former LPGA player Mary Bryan was also a pioneer in TV broadcast and a college coach
Tom Place
Read: Tom Place was known as the PGA Tour’s info ‘one-man show’
Kultida Woods
Read: Kultida Woods was the mother of Tiger Woods, who called her his biggest fan
John Feinstein
Read: John Feinstein wrote ‘A Good Walk Spoiled’ among numerous golf books
Peter McEvoy
Read: Peter McEvoy was one of England’s top amateur golfers who played in six Walker Cups
Jay Sigel
Read: Jay Sigel was an amateur golf legend with 11 Masters appearances
J.C. Snead
Read: J.C. Snead was an eight-time PGA Tour winner and nephew of Hall of Famer Sam Snead
Jim Dent
Read: Jim Dent was one of the best Black golfers of his era
Jo Ann Prentice
Read: Jo Ann Prentice won six times on LPGA
Tom Cousins
Read: Tom Cousins was the visionary behind East Lake’s urban renewal project in Atlanta
Junior Bridgeman
Read: Junior Bridgeman was a PGA board member and former NBA player
Peter Kuchar
Read: Peter Kuchar was the father of PGA Tour standout Matt Kuchar
Ed Fiori
Read: Ed Fiori was a four-time PGA Tour winner who once chased down Tiger Woods
Dan Baker
Read: Dan Baker was a respected golf industry veteran who spent nearly 17 years with the PGA of America
Bob Bubka
Read: Bob Bubka was one of the longtime voices of golf
Jim Carras
Read: Jim Carras was the longtime men’s golf coach at Michigan
Marion Herrington
Read: Longtime Augusta National caddie Marion Herrington helped Seve Ballesteros win the 1980 Masters
Mike Hill
Read: Mike Hill was a PGA Tour Champions winner who teamed up with Lee Trevino
John Harris
Read: John Harris was the last mid-amateur to win the U.S. Amateur
Frank Wharton
Read: Former PGA Tour player Frank Wharton was also a three-time NCAA champ
Cody “Beef” Franke
Read: Cody ‘Beef’ Franke was a golf pro and popular content creator
Fuzzy Zoeller
Read: Fuzzy Zoeller was a two-time major winner and one of three rookies to win the Masters
‘Jumbo’ Ozaki
More: Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki, larger-than-life Japanese star, dead at 78
