Mickelson, McIlroy, and 3 others who shaped the golfing landscape in 2022

While it may be difficult to sum up the past 12 months in golf, the stories that emerged can easily be explained through five people who paved the landscape.

From the rise of LIV Golf - and its domino effect - to players having jaw-dropping seasons, there was no lack of entertainment, twists, or turns in the past year of golf.

Here are five people who shaped men's golf this year:

Greg Norman

Nobody's actions had a bigger impact on the 2022 men's golf landscape than the former World No. 1 from Australia.

Norman, 67, is the CEO and face of the rival LIV Golf circuit that shook up the sport and drew players away from the PGA TOUR. Essentially, where there is LIV, there is Norman, as the two have become synonymous with one another.

The story picked up in June when some of the biggest names on TOUR joined the inaugural LIV field. First, it was Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, but a flurry of other major winners, Ryder Cup legends, and top-50 players quickly said their goodbyes to the TOUR and joined the lucrative league. Whether or not one considers LIV Golf to be positive or negative, there's no denying the effect Norman and his league had on not only 2022 but the future of professional men's golf.

Phil Mickelson

While Norman is largely considered the face of LIV Golf, nobody made bigger waves for their involvement with the league than six-time major champion Mickelson.

The 52-year-old suffered a massive fall from grace in February when The Fire Pit Collective published an excerpt from Alan Shipnuck's book detailing Mickelson's involvement in LIV Golf. Mickelson subsequently released a statement online that he'd be taking some time away and wasn't heard from again until joining LIV Golf's inaugural event.

Norman may be the face of LIV Golf, but Mickelson's name is often used in association with the league, too.

Scottie Scheffler

After Mickelson stepped away from the spotlight and LIV rumors cooled off, a new star emerged at tournaments and turned attention back to the TOUR. Scheffler quickly made a name for himself out on the course.

Within the span of just two months, the 26-year-old notched both his first and fourth victories on TOUR, the last one being his first major at the Masters. He quickly rose to World No. 1 and became the focus of the golf world between February and April. His success appeared to have no limits.

While the young Texan has slowed down his pace and hasn't found the same success since Augusta, his early season heroics and incredibly fast rise to the top shaped the first half of 2022.

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy's season will be remembered as much for what he did on the course as what he did off of it. The 33-year-old became the voice against LIV Golf as more and more of his peers left for the controversial series.

On the field, the Northern Irishman was just as impactful. He had one of his best seasons in recent years, and although he didn't find win any majors, he did come close - finishing inside the top 10 at all four. He also earned three wins in the 2021-22 season, including the season-ending TOUR Championship. He's already grabbed a TOUR win in the current season and topped the DP World Tour's rankings for the year. It's safe to say McIlroy had one of the most impactful seasons in his already impressive career.

Cameron Smith

Had Smith not left for LIV following the TOUR Championship in August, the Australian may still have been on this list purely for his stellar year. Instead, his decision to join the Saudi-backed TOUR just over a month after winning The Open has seemingly become a bigger talking point than his on-course resume.

The 29-year-old won three tournaments in the 2021-22 season. And while it was one short of Scheffler's four, an argument could be made about the field strength comparison in Smith's favor. He won three difficult events: the Sentry Tournament of Champions, The Players Championship, and the 150th Open at St. Andrews.

However, his impressive year quickly became overshadowed when he joined LIV Golf. He became the best-ranked player to leave for the series as the then-World No. 2, ending the argument that LIV was only for players past their peak.