Tom Weiskopf to Kathy Whitworth: Golf’s biggest losses in 2022

Golf had a stellar year on the course. It saw tons of excellent tournaments and victors. 2022 was the year Tom Kim matched a record set by Tiger Woods. It was the return of Capital One's The Match. It was also the year that Rory McIlroy assumed the top spot on the OWGR leaderboard after a thrilling run from Scottie Scheffler.

It was, unfortunately, not all good, though. The rift between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf deepened, and it doesn't appear that the two sides will ever be amicable. Aside from that, the game suffered a tremendous amount of loss.

Several golfers and those in and around the game were lost this year. Here are just a few losses this great game suffered in 2022.

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The worst losses suffered by the game of golf this year

Tom Weiskopf won 16 times on the PGA Tour. That includes the 1973 British Open, and he earned four runner-up finishes at the Masters. He became a television commentator and eventually a successful course architect before passing away this year.

Bob Shearer won the 1982 Australian Open over Jack Nicklaus and Payne Stewart and the Order of the Merit four times. He was an iconic figure in the game but sadly passed away in 2022.

Dick Ferris worked with Arnold Palmer, Clint Eastwood, and former Major League Baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth to purchase the Pebble Beach Company, returning it to US ownership. He died at 85.

In 1968, Bob Goalby won the Masters after shooting 72 but submitted an incorrect scorecard and was unfortunately disqualified. He was 92 and died in January.

Bob Goalby and friends at The Masters

Eduardo Romero won over 80 worldwide tournaments, making quite a name for himself. He won the US Senior Open in 2008 and passed away this year at the age of 67.

Former Golf Digest chief editor and eventual editorial director of Golf Digest and Golf World Nick Seitz passed away at 83. The sport's coverage would not be the same without him.

In tragic news, the head coach and seven University of the Southwest team members died this year. This occurred after their van collided with a pick-up truck on their way home from a tournament in March.

Shirley Spork was one of the founders of the LPGA Tour. She died this year at 94 years old.

In 1983, a moving propeller on a small airplane at a Sydney airport severed Jack Newton's right arm. He lost sight in his right eye and suffered severe injuries in his abdomen. He returned to play anyway and died this year.

Three-time PGA Tour winner Bart Bryant was 59 and passed away at the end of May this year.

Kathy Whitworth played for an astonishing 33 years on the LPGA. To this day, she remains their all-time win leader with 88 titles, including six majors. She passed away at the age of 83.