Matthew Wolff is in good company after seizing the inaugural 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities.
At 20 years old, just off the college circuit with Oklahoma State, the All-American has now won a PGA Tour event and NCAA individual title in the same year – something only Tiger Woods and Ben Crenshaw had achieved before.
Only 3 players have won the NCAA title and a PGA TOUR event in the same season.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 8, 2019
Ben Crenshaw@TigerWoods@Matthew_Wolff5#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/EpVABoM6Lr
Golf has its latest star in Wolff, who is the youngest winner on the tour since former Texas standout Jordan Spieth captured the 2013 John Deere Classic at 19. Adding to how remarkable the feat was, Wolff won competing in just his third professional start.
The funky-swinging California native was a perennial prizewinner in his career with the Cowboys and sunk the 2018 NCAA Division I team championship-winning putt in addition to his individual title. His honors include the 2019 Jack Nicklaus and Fred Haskins Awards as the best collegiate golfer in the nation.
Swing your swing. ⛳️
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 8, 2019
It worked for @Matthew_Wolff5. #LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/vMxZohlZBM
Wolff won six times in his sophomore season and added a Phil Mickelson Award given to the top-performing freshman. Now he’s made an early impression in the PGA.
Quite the resume for a 20-year-old.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 7, 2019
• 2017 U.S. Junior runner-up
• 2018 Phil Mickelson Award
• 2019 NCAA Individual Champion
• 2019 NCAA single-season scoring record (68.7)
• 2019 Jack Nicklaus Award
• 2019 Fred Haskins Award
• 2019 @3MOpen winner#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/MZAg7LHDDq
The win puts Wolff in a great position to start his professional career. In addition to a first-place check, Wolff now qualifies for this year's FexEx Cup Playoffs, holds a PGA Tour card through the 2020-21 season, and has an exemption into the field for the 2020 Players Championship, Masters and PGA Championship.
And he did it all on a sponsor’s exemption.
7 players in the last 80 years have won before age 21.@TigerWoods@PhilMickelson@McIlroyRory@JordanSpieth
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 8, 2019
Seve Ballesteros
Raymond Floyd@Matthew_Wolff5#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/yNz8Spasrh
Tiger Woods
One of golf’s greatest legends stepped on the course at Stanford in 1994, spending two seasons with the Cardinal before turning pro in 1996 – becoming the NCAA individual champion the same year. Woods was a two-time first-team All-American and earned the Jack Nicklaus as the golfer of the year as a sophomore.
Woods has the second-most PGA Tour wins in history at 81 including 15 in major championships. At 20 years old, he won his first PGA Tour event at the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational.
Ben Crenshaw
Well before Spieth stepped on campus at Texas, Crenshaw made historic marks on the collegiate golf course.
The Texan won three NCAA individual titles and Haskins Awards from 1971 to 1973 and added two team championships (1971-72) to his collegiate successes.
Crenshaw collected a win in his first PGA Tour event in 1973, making him the second golfer in history to do so at the time. “Gentle Ben” notched 19 total wins on the tour and two Masters Tournament victories in 1984 and 1995. He retired from the sport in 2015.
