Who Is Matthew Wolff? His Former LIV Golf Contract Drama and Team Relationships

Anyone familiar with Brooks Koepka would have heard of his LIV Golf colleague Matthew Wolff. Although the golfer is in a peculiar situation with respect to his relationship with his Smash GC teammates, he has proven to be a talented player nonetheless. Although Wolff has only a single professional win coming from the 2019 3M Open, where he beat a talented field to lift the trophy, his performance in the Saudi-backed league is to be noted.

The golfer boasts a total of eight top-10 finishes in the PIF-funded league. Even though he has made his mark in the game, the road hasn’t been easy for him on the professional circuit. Now, let us take a look at the talented athlete.

Meet Matthew Wolff, the 23-year-old LIV Golf Pro

Matthew Brandyn Wolff was born to Bill Wolff and Shari Wolff on April 14, 1999, in Simi Valley, California. The young athlete attended Westlake High School for his education. He picked up the clubs at a young age and started playing junior golf at the Lindero Kids Summer Camp at the Lake Lindero Country Club.

The youngster’s first accolade comes from the US Junior Amateur Golf Championship in 2017, where he finished as a runner-up. Moreover, he withdrew from the University of Southern California, where he had initially decided to play collegiate golf, to attend Oklahoma State University. During his study there, Wolff earned a total of four runner-up finishes, first-team All-American honors, and the Phil Mickelson Award for the nation’s top freshman.

His amateur career wins include the 2019 Carmel Cup, the OFCC Fighting Illini Invite, the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate, and a win at the Amer Ari Invitational at Valspar Collegiate, which is an NCAA Division I Individual Championship.

The talented athlete turned professional in 2019, where he made his debut on the PGA Tour at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open through a sponsor invitation in January. He was only able to place at T50 with a score of 3-under 281, taking home a cut of $17,288 from the event. However, soon after, in July, in his third professional event, he won the 3M Open against a strong field, including Bryson DeChambeau, scoring 21-under 263.

Also Read – Who Are Crushers GC? Everything You Need to Know About Bryson DeChambeau’s LIV Golf Warriors

He has been supported by many special people on and off the course, making his journey much more special. The athlete is currently engaged to his girlfriend, Kim Lloyd, after being in a relationship since 2019. His on-course partner’s name is Nick Heinen, who is himself an ex-pro golfer who played on the Korn Ferry Tour.

The golfer joined LIV Golf in 2022 during its inaugural season and made his debut as a member of HyFlyers GC, after which Wolff joined Koepka’s Smash GC, where he has had a dramatic season of sorts.

Wolff and his LIV Golf contract drama

The golfer first joined the Saudi-backed league as a member of the HyFlyers GC. During his tenure under leader Phil Mickelson, he managed to tap into his potential as his performance set him apart from his peers. He accumulated a total of three top-10 finishes in the inaugural season, including a T2 at the Bedminster event.

However, the golfer joined Smash GC under Koepka in the 2023 season. He had a rough year as opposed to his debut in 2022. The 24-year-old’s best finish came at the Greenbrier event, where he finished T3 with a score of 194 (-16)).

The Koepka-Wolff divide

During the LIV Golf event at Trump National Golf Club Washington DC, the 24-year-old went ahead to withdraw from the tournament after the second round while scoring a 151 (+7) at T46. This did not sit well with his skipper, as the 5X major winner expressed his dissatisfaction with the same: “When you quit on your round, you give up, and stuff like that, that’s not competing.”

Adding to his comments, the captain shared how he has not “given up on him,” while referring to his talent as “wasted.” However, Wolff was extremely disappointed to listen to his leader’s statement, as he termed it to be nothing short of “heartbreaking” to hear that Koepka had given up on him through the news. Moreover, he also pointed out how the situation could have been handled differently and a lot better.

Moreover, in an interview during the LIV Golf tournament in Jeddah, the 33-year-old leader mentioned how the team now consists of three people, including himself, Chase Koepka, and Jason Kokrak, indicating a rift inside the group. And now, the golfer is rumored to have been forced to remain with the team against his wishes.

Well, the 23-year-old American would be looking forward to a better season in 2024, as he hopes to end the current season on a high note. The golfer would be aiming to finish at the top of LIV Golf Miami, which is dubbed the finale of the regular season.

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