Matthew Wolff
Matthew Wolff (born April 14, 1999) is an American professional golfer. He was an NCAA All-American at Oklahoma State University. He won the 2019 NCAA Division I individual championship.
Matthew Wolff | |||
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Personal information | |||
Born | Simi Valley, California | April 14, 1999||
Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
Nationality | ![]() | ||
Residence | Jupiter, Florida | ||
Career | |||
College | Oklahoma State University | ||
Turned professional | 2019 | ||
Current tour(s) | PGA Tour | ||
Professional wins | 1 | ||
Highest ranking | 36 (August 9, 2020)[1] (as of August 16, 2020) | ||
Number of wins by tour | |||
PGA Tour | 1 | ||
Best results in major championships | |||
Masters Tournament | DNP | ||
PGA Championship | T4: 2020 | ||
U.S. Open | DNP | ||
The Open Championship | DNP | ||
Achievements and awards | |||
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Amateur career
Wolff was born in Simi Valley, California to Bill and Shari Wolff. He grew up in Agoura Hills, California, started playing junior golf at the Lake Lindero Country Club's Lindero Kids Summer Sports Camp and attended Westlake High School. He finished runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship.[2] After initially committing to play college golf for the University of Southern California, Wolff withdrew his commitment to attend Oklahoma State.[3] In his first year, he earned four runners-up, first-team All-American honors, and the Phil Mickelson Award as the nation's top freshman. He also made the putt to clinch the 2018 NCAA Division I Championship for Oklahoma State.[2] While attending Oklahoma State University, Wolff was also a part of the Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) fraternity.
Wolff began his sophomore season with back-to-back stroke play titles at the Carmel Cup and the OFCC Fighting Illini Invitational, which he followed up by sharing medalist honors at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate.[4] The three consecutive wins brought Wolff to the top of the college rankings.[2] He made his PGA Tour debut at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open after receiving a sponsor's exemption.[5]
In addition to his results, Wolff's unorthodox golf swing has drawn attention.[6][7][8][9] To get more rotation, he employs a left leg kick that he picked up from playing baseball, and uses the ground to create power.[2][7]
Professional career
Wolff turned professional in June 2019 and made his professional debut at the Travelers Championship.[10][11]
On July 7, 2019, Wolff earned his first PGA Tour victory at the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota. Wolff, 20, shot a 6-under 65 in the final round to edge out fellow Tour newcomer Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke at 21-under overall. The tournament came down to the 72nd green. DeChambeau, playing one group ahead of Morikawa and Wolff, made eagle on the par-5 18th hole and took a 1-shot lead. Wolff's approach landed on the edge of the green, but he powered a 26-foot putt off the pin and into the hole to take lead with an eagle of his own. Morikawa pushed his potential tying putt to the left and victory belonged to Wolff. The victory gave Wolff a two-year PGA Tour exemption, in addition to a $1.152 million first-place check.[12] Wolff was the first player since Billy Hurley III in 2016 to win after receiving a sponsor exemption. He was also only the third player to win an NCAA title and PGA Tour event in the same calendar year, joining Tiger Woods and Ben Crenshaw.
Amateur wins
- 2018 The Carmel Cup, OFCC Fighting Illini Invite, Royal Oaks Intercollegiate
- 2019 The Amer Ari Invitational, Valspar Collegiate, NCAA Division I individual championship
Source:[13]
Professional wins (1)
PGA Tour wins (1)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runners-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jul 7, 2019 | 3M Open | 69-67-62-65=263 | −21 | 1 stroke | ![]() ![]() |
Results in major championships
Results not in chronological order in 2020.
Tournament | 2020 |
---|---|
Masters Tournament | |
PGA Championship | T4 |
U.S. Open | |
The Open Championship | NT |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
Results in World Golf Championships
Tournament | 2019 | 2020 |
---|---|---|
Championship | ||
Match Play | NT1 | |
Invitational | T24 | T49 |
Champions |
1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
NT = No tournament
"T" = Tied
U.S. national team appearances
- Palmer Cup: 2018 (winners)
References
- "Week 32 2020 Ending 9 Aug 2020" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
- Lavner, Ryan (October 29, 2018). "'Oh s---, he's going to be such a huge disruptor': Introducing, Matthew Wolff". Golf Channel. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- Romine, Brentley (March 29, 2016). "Matthew Wolff (2017) commits to Oklahoma State". Golfweek. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- Herrington, Ryan (October 24, 2018). "Matthew Wolff just did something no other men's golfer at tradition-laden Oklahoma State has ever done before". Golf World. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- Patterson, Eric (January 31, 2019). "Standout amateur Matthew Wolff dazzles in PGA Tour debut". theScore Inc. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- Berhow, Josh (May 29, 2018). "Watch: OSU's stellar freshman has a unique, unconventional swing that's paying off big time". Golf Magazine. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- Romine, Brentley (May 31, 2018). "Instruction: College stars Braden Thornberry, Matt Wolff find success with unique golf swings". Golfweek. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- Morfit, Cameron (January 31, 2019). "Oklahoma State amateur Wolff impresses with 67 at Waste Management Phoenix Open". PGA Tour. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- Myers, Alex (February 1, 2019). "Golf Twitter has a new obsession in Oklahoma State amateur Matthew Wolff". Golf World. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- Lavner, Ryan (June 6, 2019). "Wolff, Hovland to make pro debuts at Travelers". Golf Channel.
- Johnson, E. Michael (June 19, 2019). "Viktor Hovland, Matthew Wolff turn pro at Travelers Championship and immediately cash in with equipment deals". Golf Digest.
- Speros, Bill (July 7, 2019). "3M Open: Matthew Wolff captures 1st PGA Tour victory with thrilling finish". Golfweek. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
- "Matthew Wolff". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
External links
- Matthew Wolff at the PGA Tour official site
- Matthew Wolff at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
- Profile on Oklahoma State's official athletic site