Move over, Tiger! These stats from Matthew Wolff’s 3M Open victory will make your head spin
Those who follow college golf or the pro game closely have known the name Matthew Wolff for quite a while. But the 20-year-old further announced his presence to the golf world on Sunday when he made a clutch eagle on the 72nd hole to win the 3M Open in Minnesota.
Just how spectacular — and rare — was the 2019 NCAA champion’s victory? Let’s go to the numbers!
20 — At 20 years, 2 months and 23 days, he’s the first player under 21 to win a PGA Tour event since Jordan Spieth at the 2013 John Deere Classic. Spieth was a couple of weeks shy of his 20th birthday.
7 — Per Justin Ray via Twitter, Wolff is the seventh player in the last 80 years to win on the PGA Tour before turning 21. The other six have all won at least three majors: Tiger Woods (15), Seve Ballesteros (5), Phil Mickelson (5), Raymond Floyd (4), Rory McIlroy (4) and Jordan Spieth (3). Talk about good company.
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3 — He’s the third player to win both an NCAA title and PGA Tour event in the same year. The other two are Tiger Woods and Ben Crenshaw. (More good company.)
1,524 — Spots Wolff jumped in the Official World Golf Ranking, from 1,659 to 135. He’s now one behind Cameron Champ (134) and ahead of guys like Ross Fisher (138), Peter Uihlein (144), Nick Watney (147) and Jason Dufner (157).
4 — Number of players who have won in fewer PGA Tour starts. Jim Benepe remains the only player to win in his first start (1988 Beatrice Western Open).
9.444 — Strokes Gained: approach the green Wolff registered in his four rounds at the 3M Open. Somehow that number didn’t even rank 1st. He was second to runner-up Collin Morikawa (10.703).
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