Matthew

Wolff

The 23-year-old kicked off with 65 to sit T3, fell to T18 after a R2 73, mired by two doubles, but rebounds with a three-birdie three-bogey showing on Saturday. At first glance, an even-par 70 doesn’t sound like much, but it was tied for the fourth-best lap on a difficult day for scoring, was good for a 3.662 SG: Total, and moves him into the fourth-to-last pairing on Sunday with rookie and fellow first-timer Chad Ramey, who actually bumped one spot despite a 73. Thru 54 holes, the 2019 NCAA individual champ has totaled 12 birdies versus six bogeys and two doubles, and ranks 10th SG: Tee-to-Green (5.677), including a 5th SG: Around (2.819), highlighted by a pitch-in birdie-2 today at 17 from 47'4" away (video below), and 19th in SG: Putting (2.148), 0.960 of that in R3. The Oklahoma State product’s lone TOUR win to date in 60 events came at the inaugural 3M Open in 2019 as a non-member, sponsor invite and as OWGR No. 1659, where he was a 54-hole tri-leader and shot 6-under 65 to win by one.

The 23-year-old blistered out of the gates in the fall portion of the wraparound schedule with four top 20s and a couple of top 5s in four events. Since the calendar flipped to 2022, however, it’s been rough sledding, missing four cuts, including at the 86th Masters four weeks ago in his most recent action (81-78), while his three paydays were T60, T61 and 64th. Afterward today (link below): “Yeah, I’m thrilled. I definitely -- I played my home course like four days ago and I lost every golf ball I had in the bag, so I really didn’t come here expecting to play well.” On 10 (of 14) fairways and 14 greens in regulation, the Oklahoma State product camouflaged a three-putt bogey-6 at hole 2 (from 44'6") with six birdies, highlighted by a hat-trick at 13-15, posting a dizzying 4.765 SG: Tee-to-Green and a pedestrian 0.331 SG: Putting. If this co-lead holds up, it would be his second 18-hole lead/co-lead in 61 events, joining this season’s WWT at Mayakoba back in November, where he led by two before finishing T5 (61-68-74-65), preferred lies in effect for all four rounds.

It may be a good idea for the 22-year-old to consider this year his first Masters as the previous two did not go to plan. Missing the cut in his debut in November of 2022, Wolff was disqualified in last year’s edition of the tournament after signing for an incorrect scorecard. Still young, Wolff has experienced his fair share of close calls in major championships, finishing in tie for fourth-place at the 2020 PGA Championship and runner-up to Bryson DeChambeau the same year at the U.S. Open. Hoping to add a quality finish at the Masters, Wolff spoke to how the changes at Augusta National may actually benefit those with less experience. The world No. 45 said, “Yeah, I don’t know if you can approach it any differently. I know there’s a few changes on the golf course that might make it -- some people might say it makes it easier, some might say it makes it harder, but I feel like for me if I execute the shots the way I want to the right slope on 11 won’t come into play and a couple of those things. I think it’s going to be honestly more of an advantage for the new guys that are here because the changes that they’ve made, no one has ever seen them. Guys like Tiger, guys who have played here years and years in the past, they come to the same golf course every time, so they know it better than us. But if there’s changes being made, everyone is seeing them for the first time. Like I say, hopefully I don’t have too much of a problem with them, but the course is still great.”

Wolff’s play at the Saudi International may be a sign of things to come as the Oklahoma State standout finished in a tie for sixth in the Middle East. Perhaps hinting at a return to his fall form, Wolff collected results of T-17 at the Sanderson Farms, runner-up at the Shriners Children’s Open, T-5 at the WWT Championship, and T-11 at the HPE Houston Open before the turn of the calendar. With such form eluding him in the new year, Wolff has struggled primarily with his iron play. Yet to gain strokes on the field in his two PGA Tour starts in 2022, PGA National could be a spot for him to get right or the polar opposite. Known to play well in more difficult conditions, the range of outcomes when it comes to Wolff this week is quite wide. Priced at $9,200, gamers will be taking a big risk with the world No. 35 if rostered, a risk with a potentially big reward.

The 22-year-old Wolff is one of 10 players expected to qualify for the 2022 Masters when the Official World Golf Ranking releases its final update of the year on Dec. 27. The former Oklahoma State standout is projected to finish the calendar year at his current ranking – well inside the top 50 – which would earn him an invite to Augusta National. In two previous appearances there, he missed the cut in November 2020 and was disqualified after the second round in April for signing an incorrect scorecard. Things have gone in the right direction for Wolff this fall, though: He’s finished no worse than T-17 (Sanderson Farms) and was second in the Shriners Children’s Open for the second straight year, finishing four back of winner Sungjae Im and carding four rounds of 68 or better at TPC Summerlin. Wolff shot 61 in the first round at the Mayakoba and finished T-5. Last season, he was 71st on the FedExCup standings, making13 cuts made in 20 starts with two top 10s. He finished solo second in the 2020 U.S. Open, shooting even-par 280 at Winged Foot to finish six back of winner Bryson DeChambeau. Wolff led by two strokes after 54 holes but shot 75 on Sunday.

The 22-year-old, who was top debutant of 24, began the day in a five-way T2, one shy of leader and playing competitor Scottie Scheffler (69). He mustered six (of 13) fairways and eight greens in regulation, losing strokes in all categories with the exception of 0.709 on approach. The Oklahoma State product circled two birdies and canned a hole-in-one at the par-3 ninth as he made the turn (video link below), but overshadowed those with six bogeys. For the week, he recorded rounds of 68-67-69-72, totaled two eagles, T1 in that stat, and 15 birdies versus 13 bogeys and a double, and ranked 2nd in SG: Around (4.300) but 60th (of 67) in SG: Approach (-1.820). The South Florida resident improves to 4-for-4 on the season with four top 20s, having arrived off back-to-back top-5 finishes, most recently a T5 last week at the Mayakoba as the 18- and 36-hole leader.

The Oklahoma State product is vying for his second TOUR victory in 53 events, joining the inaugural 3M Open in 2019 49 starts ago as a non-member sponsor invite. At the 3M, he was a 54-hole tri-leader and won by one over Bryson DeChambeau and fellow non-member and playing competitor Collin Morikawa with a closing 6-under 65. The California native, who will be in the final group in R4 with Scheffler and Jhonattan Vegas, had it to 8-under total and in the lead, outpacing two squares with five circles, but watered his approach to the drivable par-4 17th after laying up off-the-tee, and then missing a bogey-saver from 7'0". At the three-quarter pole, he ranks in the Top 11 in all strokes gained sub-categories with the exception of 64th (of 67) in SG: Approach (-2.529). See link below to post-round comments.

Beginning off 10 tee, the Oklahoma State product was 2-under thru 12 holes on Friday when play was suspended, having just made eagle at the par-5 third (from 7'6") after a stellar approach from 277 yards. He returned Saturday morning to a bogey-5 at 5 (missed par-saver from 9'5") and back-to-back birdies at 7 and 8, and posted a 4.148 SG: Total in R2 at last check. The 22-year-old, who arrived off a T5 on debut last week in Mexico as the 18- and 36-hole leader (61-68-74-65), has tallied one eagle and eight birdies in total thus far against five bogeys, and currently ranks 3rd in SG: Around (3.427) and 10th in SG: Putting (3.270).

The World No. 31, who drops to 0-for-1, both as an 18- and 36-hole leader/co-leader, does rebound from a one-birdie four-bogey 74 yesterday to record his third top 20 of the season in as many starts. He was the top debutant of 29 at El Camaleon GC, and chases a solo 2nd at the Shriners four weeks ago with another top-5 finish. For the week, the Oklahoma State product carded rounds of 61-68-74-65, Rounds 1 and 4 bogey-free, with R1 matching a career low and the course record. He totaled 23 birdies against seven bogeys, six versus zero today, and ranked T4 in driving accuracy at 73.21 percent (41/56) and T2 in greens in regulation at 77.78 percent (56/72). Wolff, who talked about his Sunday bounce back post-round (link below), is in the published field at this coming week’s Houston Open, and wound up a distant seven adrift of champion and defender Viktor Hovland.