Wolff Proves College System Can Work Ahead of Pro Golf
By Space Coast Daily // October 14, 2020
It has been a spectacular 12 months for golfer Matthew Wolff since he turned professional in June 2019.
Not only has the 21-year-old been successful on the PGA Tour, but he has also gone close on more than one occasion in the major championships.
Wolff attended Oklahoma State University before hitting the pro ranks. In his final year in college, he won the NCAA Division I Individual Championship, the biggest prize on offer for universities in the sport.
The American’s amateur career is very impressive. He was part of the US team which lifted the Palmer Cup in 2018, while he also was named an NCAA All-American. A switch to professional golf was always likely and he has already justified joining the PGA Tour at such an early age.
Big Hitting Swing
Wolff is one of the biggest hitters in professional golf as he consistently hits the ball over 300 yards off the tee. His unorthodox swing allows him to generate speed and power, a huge advantage over his rivals on courses which are longer than average.
The young golfer has put his unusual swing down to playing baseball. He uses a left leg kick before squatting into the ground. It is so different to what is taught in textbooks and questions whether the traditional swing is the most effective.
It is going to be interesting to see Wolff make his debut at Augusta in November. He is +3500 in the golf betting for the US Masters. His game looks perfectly suited to attack the par-five holes on the course, so he could have a great chance of landing the Green Jacket.
PGA Tour Win
It’s very rare for someone to come out of college and win a PGA Tour that same year but that is exactly what Wolff did when he prevailed in the 2019 3M Open in Minnesota.
Wolff carded a six-under-par round on the final day of the tournament, which was enough for a one stroke victory ahead of Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa. The way he coolly went about his work on those finals holes on the Sunday said a lot about the character of Wolff.
Not only was it a big payday for Wolff, but also the win earned him a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, which helps take the pressure off the young shoulders during that period.
Major Challenges
The four major championships in golf are the tournaments every player desperately wants to win. Wolff has already gone close in both of the two events he has featured in so far.
Wolff’s first major appearance came in the US PGA Championship earlier this year. He ended the weekend in a tie for fourth place. A final round of 65 shot him up the leaderboard on the Sunday and left him three shots behind Morikawa who won his maiden major tournament with a score of -13.
The American got even closer to the trophy in the 2020 US Open as he led going into the final round of that event. Unfortunately for him, he had to settle for the runner-up spot as DeChambeau produced a stunning round on the final day to claim the trophy.
Everything Wolff has shown so far in the pro game points to a fantastic career so it is going to be exciting to see him flourish further over the next few years.
