In pictures: From Tiger Woods and Brooks Koepka to the ‘smiling Cinderella’ and Solheim Cup – golf in 2019

We look back over the defining images from the past 12 months

One picture will define golf for so much longer than this year alone. Tiger Woods‘ roar on the 18th green at Augusta, 11 years after his previous major victory, will forever be remembered as one of the most iconic moments in sporting history.

That improbable glory inevitably captured all this year’s limelight, but there were numerous highlights to savour. Brooks Koepka clinched a fourth major victory in eight starts, concreting his status as Woods’ eventual successor. Meanwhile, it was a year of contrasts for his main rival in Rory McIlroy, who was crowned Players and Tour champion yet crumbled so dramatically at The Open in Portrush, where Shane Lowry battled through horrendous weather to claim his maiden major.

The formidable Ko Jin-young became the latest South Korean to take a stranglehold on the women’s game, winning two of this year’s majors and going a remarkable 114 holes without recording a single bogey. There were fairy tales too, as the ‘smiling Cinderella’ Hinako Shibuno won The Open in her first professional event outside Japan and Australian Hannah Green won the PGA Championship at just 22 years old.

Europe were victorious in one of the most thrilling Solheim Cups in memory but, of course, it was Woods who ultimately closed off a year that will forever be known as his, going undefeated as playing captain at the Presidents Cup as the US retained the trophy.

Here, we look back over the defining images of 2019:

Click through the gallery above to see our favourite pictures of the year.