Top 5 most emotional moments of the 2023 Golf season

Each season of golf brings with it its own set of emotions. Winning in this sport is so rare that almost any result can generate an emotional moment and bring tears.

The 2023 season was no exception, and fans were not short of emotion. There were a lot of moments that showed that golf is about more than money, sponsorship and tour battles.

Let's take a look at the five most emotional moments of the 2023 golf season.

Top 5 most emotional moments of the 2023 golf season

The golf circuit witnessed some very emotional moments during the 2023 season. The following is a list of some of the most followed by fans:

1. Erik van Rooyen winning for his friend

One of the most remembered images of the current season is the embrace of Erik van Rooyen and his caddie Alex Gaugert on the 18th green of El Cardonal, after the South African won the World Wide Technology Championship. The victory had been emotional for both of them, and not exactly for sporting reasons.

Jon Trasamar, a good friend of both van Rooyen and Gaugert, was in the final days of a long battle against cancer. His memory was the driving force behind the South African's epic victory. Trasamar passed away a few days later.

Erik van Rooyen could not have been more eloquent about it. This is what he said, according to Golf Digest:

"He [Trasamar] is got melanoma, and he’s not going to make it. And every shot I did today was for him. And when you’re playing for something bigger than some silly trophy it puts things in perspective, and at the end of the day whether I won here or whether I lost here, it really did not matter. When something motivates you like that whether you make a putt or miss a putt, who cares?"

2. Alison Lee almost retiring from golf

Although she has always been a solid player, Alison Lee failed to win in her nine seasons on the LPGA Tour. This reality affected her a lot, causing Lee to doubt her own quality.

This is what Alison Lee said during her press conference after the second round of the CME Group Tour Championship, the last tournament of the season (via Ten Golf):

"There were moments where I thought 'maybe this isn't for me anymore, I'm just not good enough'... the last couple years I thought 'okay I only have a couple more years left in me' where I feel like I can play.

It takes a lot more than all those hours of practice, it takes like a little bit of a mental switch in your brain to be like 'hey I'm freaking good, I can win, I can make that putt, I can be number one in the world' and I didn't have that for a long time."

During October and November 2023, Lee was on the verge of finally entering the LPGA Tour winner's circle. She strung together three second-place finishes and a victory on the Ladies European Tour. However, her maiden LPGA Tour victory did not come this season either.

3. Max Homa could not force the play-off at The Genesis Invitational

Max Homa started the season strong, winning two of his first eight tournaments. With that momentum, he arrived at The Genesis Invitational, a tournament that Homa himself defined as "very special" for him.

Homa arrived at the 18th hole of the fourth round two strokes behind the leader. He had the opportunity to chip it in to force the playoff with Jon Rahm. Homa almost made it, but the ball dramatically did not go in despite touching the cup.

Max Homa recapped the moment in tears. This is what he said for the PGA Tour News Service:

"When I won in 2021, nobody was here, and it hurts me not to be able to do that with everyone here, my family and friends. But, I tried man. Sorry [for his tears], this tournament means a lot to me, so, it's like an emotional release... I'm gonna win it again."

4. Wyndham Clark paying tribute to his mother

Wyndham Clark won his first PGA Tour tournament in 2023, after five seasons as a professional. It was a life-changing year for Clark, as four weeks later he would win his first Major, the U.S. Open.

His first PGA Tour victory came at the Wells Fargo Championship. Clark's first thought was for his mother, Lise Clark, who passed away in 2013 due to cancer. This is how Wyndham Clark paid tribute to his mother, according to the PGA Tour News Service:

"My mom was the first one to introduce me to golf. My mom started this great tradition of writing me cute, little notes in my golf bag, my gym bag, my backpack and at a young age, I was very embarassed by these notes because I would open them in the middle of class and my friends would see it. But nowadays, I'd give anything to have those notes in my golf bag."

5. Bryson DeChambeau and his record-breaking round

The feat achieved by Bryson DeChambeau at Greenbrier did not involve many tears, but his emotions were of a different kind. DeChambeau carded a third-round 58, something reserved for only a select few. And he did it after shooting 61 the day before.

It was a historic day for Bryson DeChambeau. So much so that despite having won a major tournament, DeChambeau called his round at Greenbrier "the best moment" of his career (via LIV Golf news service).