Matthew Wolff Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Brooks Koepka takes another jab at LIV Golf teammate Matthew Wolff

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 07:30:57 +0000

The fate of the LIV Golf League in 2024 remains unclear as reports circulate that a deal between the PGA Tour, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (LIV Golf’s financial backer) and the DP World Tour could be delayed beyond the year’s end timeline spelt out in their framework agreement. Without a deal, the upstart circuit seemingly would continue in its current form, something its executives insist they’re preparing for.

What is looking clear, should the 2024 season play on, is the unlikelihood that Matthew Wolff will remain on the Smash GC team captained by Brooks Koepka.

On Friday, after the opening round of the LIV Golf Invitational event in Saudi Arabia, Koepka was asked a question about the “brotherhood” between the members of his team, which includes Wolff, Chase Koepka (Brooks’ younger brother), and Jason Kokrak. His response was telling.

“There’s only three of us on our team,” said Koepka, who would go on to win the tournament in a playoff over Talor Gooch. “I mean, obviously my brother, I’m pretty tight with him, and then—I’ve enjoyed being around Jay for the last—I’ve been pretty close with Jay for maybe the last three years. I’ve enjoyed being around him. He’s a good player, super talented. It’s been fun to be around him, and he’s played pretty solid this year. Yeah, I can’t say anything bad about him.”

But in saying nothing about Wolff, Koepka sort of said a lot.

In July, Koepka did specifically call out Wolff during an interview with Sports Illustrated.

“I mean, when you quit on your round, you give up and stuff like that, that’s not competing,” Koepka said. “I’m not a big fan of that. You don’t work hard. It’s very tough. It’s very tough to have even like a team dynamic when you’ve got one guy that won’t work, one guy is not going to give any effort, he’s going to quit on the course, break clubs, gets down, bad body language, it’s very tough. I’ve basically given up on him—a lot of talent, but I mean the talent’s wasted.”

Wolff, who has been open about mental-health challenges he has faced since turning pro in 2019, responded in a statement by saying Koepka’s comments were “beyond disappointing”: “When I chose to join his team in 2023, I did so with much optimism about my new home as part of Team Smash and equally as important the chance to be around and learn from a player of Brooks’s stature. Like everyone who has ever played the game at the highest level, I have had competitive moments in the past that I feel I have let myself down and even others in our new team environment. This has been quite difficult for me. My challenges on and off the golf course with my mental health have been well documented. I deal with those challenges every day.”

Wolff is scheduled to compete for Smash at this week’s LIV Golf team championship event in Miami. But with his T-38 in Jeddah, he wrapped up the regular season in 27th place on the individual points list. Outside the top 24, it means he can be traded or released from his team during LIV’s offseason.

Main image: Chris Trotman/LIV Golf

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Storms brewing in Greenbrier as Wolff and Puig lead chase for LIV Golf title

Matt Smith — Sun, 06 Aug 2023 10:04:48 +0000

Matthew Wolff. LIV Golf

There were storms brewing ahead of Sunday’s final round at LIV Golf’s 10th event of 2023 at the Greenbrier, both on and off the course.

Due to the potential for inclement weather, Sunday’s final round of LIV Golf Greenbrier was brought forward to a shotgun start at 9.05am local time in West Virginia.

Meanwhile, David Puig, LIV Golf’s youngest player at age 21 is locked in a battle with Matthew Wolff for the individual title this weekend.

They shared a lot of laughs Saturday playing in the same group at LIV Golf Greenbrier. And now they share the lead going into the final round at The Old White course.

Wolff followed up his LIV-record tying 61 in the opening round with a three-under 67, while Puig shot 65, leaving both players at 12-under through the first 36 holes. That’s one stroke better than the trio of Bryson DeChambeau, Richard Bland and season-long points leader Talor Gooch, with four more players another stroke back.

Wolff and Puig will be paired again in the leading group that tees off on hole No. 1.

“I’m excited to play with him tomorrow,” Wolff said of the young Spanish star. “I’m excited to be tied for the lead. I’m going to go out there and give it my all, and we’ll see what happens.”

“The age helps probably to enjoy more … or have fun, maybe,” Puig said. “Looking forward to tomorrow.”

The third member of the lead group is Bland, who at 50 years old is the second oldest LIV Golf player.

“I’m trying to keep us oldies still relevant,” said Bland.

As a team, Puig’s Torque certainly had plenty of fun, with a cumulative second round score of 19-under with Mito Pereira’s 62 and Sebastián Muñoz’s 64 counting with Puig’s 65. That leaves Torque at 34-under and four shots ahead of Stinger. Four other teams are eight shots behind.

Torque are seeking their fourth team title of the season while hoping to close the gap with the league-leading 4 Aces, who are in 11th place after managing just even par on Saturday.

Bryson DeChambeau. LIV Golf

Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau might have had the most fun of any individual player on Saturday, shooting his lowest score in a LIV Golf tournament (61) to get to 11-under. His bogey-free round was fuelled by a hot putter, as he converted three birdie attempts of 27 feet or better, including a 47-footer at the 14th hole and a 32-footer at the fourth.

Add increased confidence with the new driver he put in his bag this week, and the Crushers captain is feeling good about his game. He took second place last month at LIV Golf Andalucía when Gooch birdied the final hole for his third win of the season.

“Obviously the putting was more important because that’s what allowed me to shoot that far under par,” said the 2020 US Open champ. “But the driving was on par if not better than that. Having this confidence off the tee is crucial to me playing well, and that’s what it’s provided me so far.”

Puig will be looking for his first professional win since turning pro last year. Wolff’s last pro win came in 2019 in just his third start after becoming a pro. Both players are just outside the top 24 in points who receive guaranteed spots at the end of the regular season for next year’s LIV Golf League.

Sunday at Greenbrier could be a big day for the two youngsters.

“I know we’re young but we’re here for a reason,” Wolff said. “I don’t really think anyone else is looking at us like, oh, we’re young. I think they all know we’re going to give it our best. There’s a reason we’re in the lead.”

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Wolff storms back to form at LIV Golf Greenbrier as new dad Brooks helps Smash top the team standings

Golf Digest Middle East — Sat, 05 Aug 2023 09:02:33 +0000

After a stretch of poor scoring and frustrating results, Matthew Wolff produced a round on Friday at LIV Golf Greenbrier more reflective of his talent: a nine-under 61 that ties the LIV-record low.

But after taking a two-shot lead after the first round on The Old White course, the young Smash star said his low score was not any kind of statement, nor a reflection of any drastic change in his approach.

“I just go out here and I give it my best every single day. It’s golf,” Wolff said. “It’s a roller-coaster, and I’m learning to accept the good and the bad as they come and roll with it. I haven’t changed anything.”

The numbers certainly were different for Wolff. In his last three LIV Golf starts, he failed to break 70 and averaged 74.6 per round. His best finish in that stretch was 44th in Andalucía.

On Friday, all that changed. Starting on the par-3 8th, he opened with a birdie, added two pars, then produced a four-hole stretch that included three birdies and an eagle. He then ended his round with three birdies in his last four holes.

The 61 is the fourth in LIV Golf history, tying the 61s shot by Branden Grace, Cameron Smith and Harold Varner III in Tulsa. Varner shot seven-under 63 on Friday to join David Puig as Wolff’s closest pursuers. Dean Burmester and Cameron Tringale are another stroke back after shooting 64.

Wolff looked more like the player who started the season with three consecutive top-12 finishes than the one who hasn’t scored points in the last six events and dropped to 27th in the season-long standings. Only the top 24 at the end of the regular season, as well as team captains, are guaranteed spots for next year’s LIV Golf League.

“Everyone goes through slumps, everyone goes through bad times, and I’m lucky mine only lasted a few tournaments,” Wolff said. “I started off the year really good, and I’m looking to end it really good.”

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman speaks to Brooks Koepka at The Greenbrier. LIV Golf

Wolff’s low round also helped Smash grab the team lead at 19-under, with captain Brooks Koepka and Jason Kokrak each contributing 5-under 65s. Koepka is making his first start since the birth of his son last week.

Smash, currently seventh in the season-long team points, is seeking its first win of the season. Koepka’s team leads by four shots over Torque, Stinger and RangeGoats.

Varner, who won LIV Golf DC, the last LIV tournament held in the United States, is as focused on his team’s success as much as his own. He desperately wants to catch the league-leading 4 Aces, who come off a win at London and are in sixth after Friday’s first round. The RangeGoats are currently third, just two points behind second-place Torque.

“We need to win,” Varner said after his bogey-free round. “An integral part of winning is playing well, so I’m just trying to play well and help the team as much as possible – and seven-unders will do that.”

For Wolff, nine-under is just the kind of round that could prove to be a turning point for a season that has gone awry lately. But he cautioned Friday that there’s no guarantee.

“It’s just golf,” Wolff said. “I mean, you play bad and then you play good. Like I said, I’m accepting the fact that just because I played well today, it might not go the same tomorrow or might go just as well.

“At the end of the day, I’m doing what I can and trying to shoot the lowest score I can every day. I promise, I’m trying.”

TEAM COUNTING SCORES

Here are the standings and counting scores for Friday’s opening round of the team competition at LIV Golf Greenbrier. The three best scores from each team count in every round for their total team score. The team with the lowest cumulative score after three rounds wins the team title.

1. SMASH GC (-19): Matthew Wolff 61, Brooks Koepka 65, Jason Kokrak 65
T2. TORQUE GC (-15): David Puig 63, Joaquin Niemann 65, Sebastian Munoz 67
T2. STINGER GC (-15): Dean Burmester 64, Louis Oosthuizen 65, Branden Grace 66
T2. RANGEGOATS GC (-15): Harold Varner III 63, Talor Gooch 65, Bubba Watson 67
5. HYFLYERS GC (-13): Cameron Tringale 64, Phil Mickelson 66, Brendan Steele 67
6. 4 ACES GC (-12): Dustin Johnson 65, Peter Uihlein 65, Pat Perez 68
7. MAJESTICKS GC (-11): Laurie Canter 65, Lee Westwood 66, Ian Poulter 68
8. CLEEKS GC (-10): Richard Bland 66, Bernd Wiesberger 66, Graeme McDowell 68
9. CRUSHERS GC (-9): Charles Howell III 65, Bryson DeChambeau 68, Paul Casey 68
10. FIREBALLS GC (-6): Carlos Ortiz 66, Sergio Garcia 69, Eugenio Chacarra 69
11. RIPPER GC (-5): Matt Jones 66, Cameron Smith 69, Marc Leishman 70
12. IRON HEADS GC (+2): Scott Vincent 69, Danny Lee 71, Sihwan Kim 73

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Gooch, Uihlein, Wolff switched teams ahead of LIV Golf League 2023: How and why it happened

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 12:50:45 +0000

Matthew Wolff, Peter Uihlein and Talor Gooch. LIV Golf

Peter Uihlein was on the practice green at LIV Golf Bangkok last October, hoping to get a feel for the greens at Stonehill, a brand-new course unfamiliar to nearly every golfer in the field that week. Suddenly, he was approached by Dustin Johnson. This was no friendly chit-chat. Consider it a business meeting.

“Hey,” DJ said, “don’t sign anything. We may have a spot for you next year.”

By then, Uihlein was well aware of the rumors circulating among the players, that Talor Gooch might leave Johnson’s wildly successful 4 Aces and transfer to Bubba Watson’s team. Uihlein, then a member of Smash, had decided to wait until after the season before committing to a team for the 2023 LIV Golf League.

Uihlein certainly enjoyed playing for Smash, captained by his friend and former roommate Brooks Koepka. He was grateful to have found a home after bouncing around a few teams early in the season. His game, in fact, had never been better. And although he didn’t know it at the time, Uihlein would find himself battling Koepka in a playoff the following week for the individual title at LIV Golf Jeddah, with Smash winning the team title. The two would finish the week at Jeddah on the podium at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

But Uihlein also knew that Koepka wanted to add Matthew Wolff to the Smash roster in 2023. Meanwhile, Uihlein was undeniably intrigued by the potential of joining the 4 Aces, who had entered Bangkok with four consecutive team wins. With DJ and Patrick Reed leading the way, they appeared unbeatable, LIV Golf’s first budding dynasty. They would eventually end the season winning the Miami Team Championship and its $16 million first prize.

Who wouldn’t want to at least explore the opportunity?

“Brooks’ team obviously was very successful. We had a win and a good Miami week,” Uihlein explained in a recent interview. “But the 4 Aces are the 4 Aces.”

Uihlein, who grew up in New England, then offered up this analogy to describe the allure of playing for the 4 Aces.

“It pains me to say this, being a Red Sox fan, but the [4 Aces] are like the Yankees, right? And when the Yankees call, you answer,” he said.

And so the 2023 season begins this week at LIV Golf Mayakoba with Uihlein playing for 4 Aces, Gooch on Watson’s rebranded RangeGoats and Wolff jumping to Smash. That’s three of LIV Golf’s most intriguing talents — all former Oklahoma State golfers — each taking full advantage of LIV’s unique transfer opportunity that reflects the player movement found in other team sports.

It also could have a significant impact on how the team competition will shake out this season with the full 14-tournament schedule in place and rosters stabilised throughout the season. Consider this: All three players finished last year ranked inside the top 11 in individual points — Uihlein third (and winner of the $4 million bonus), Wolff sixth and Gooch 11th. Now they’re on different teams, creating different dynamics within their respective rosters.

The same goes for all the teams with fresh line-ups. Just three rosters from last season’s Miami Team Championship are being carried over to Mayakoba — Majesticks, Fireballs and Crushers. The other nine have made at least one change. But it’s the Uihlein-Gooch-Wolff transfers that are making the most noise.

FROM ACE TO RANGEGOAT

Talor Gooch. LIV Golf

Perhaps you don’t remember: Talor Gooch wasn’t an original member of the 4Aces. In fact, he was the captain of Torque at the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational event in London last June.

But when Johnson’s team finished fifth at Centurion Club, 18 strokes behind the winning Stinger side, DJ went for a complete roster overhaul. That meant bringing in Gooch to add to new LIV Golf signees Patrick Reed and Pat Perez.

The result was immediate — four consecutive wins starting in Portland.

For Gooch, the move not only meant trophy celebrations but a significant bump in prize earnings. Of his $10,374,500 in winnings last year, 68 per cent of it came from his share of the team bonuses won by the 4Aces. It was well-earned, as Gooch supplied several timely low rounds, including a second-round 64 in Bedminster, and a 63-65 start the next week in Boston. He and Perez also paired to win their foursomes match in the semi-finals in Miami.

But as financially fruitful as it was to be an Ace, Gooch has a close friend on another team — Harold Varner III. They first met as college rivals, and immediately hit it off. Gooch has since leaned on Varner’s advice to help guide him on some professional decisions. And they use the same agent.

The chance to share the LIV Golf team experience with his good buddy was a huge factor as Gooch weighed his next steps.

“Obviously, we [4 Aces] had a great year and had a bunch of success and I was happy with how things were going,” Gooch said. “It wasn’t an easy decision that was made overnight. But for me, it was a cool and unique opportunity to team up with one of your good buddies and play team golf together.”

Varner was the key member of Watson’s team last year. But as captain, Watson has the final say on personnel moves. Given Gooch’s credentials, and the fact that his team finished last in regular-season points in 2022, the chance to upgrade the roster seemed like an easy call on paper.

But Watson didn’t know Gooch all that well, and wanted to make sure the fit would be good, chemistry-wise. The same from Gooch’s perspective.

“I sat down with Talor and he asked me what I was about, what I wanted to do, where I see this going and why did I want to be a part of LIV,” recalled Watson, who is back to active duty after missing last season following knee surgery. “He asked great questions and I answered them to the best of my ability.

“One of the things that I did say to him is: ‘Man, I just want you to be happy. I don’t care whose team you’re on.’ Talor Gooch is better for the league on anybody’s team rather than not having Talor in the league at all, if that makes sense.”

Watson asked about Gooch’s charity initiatives in his native Oklahoma. Watson then spoke about his own charities, and how working together in a team environment could help raise awareness for all their off-course efforts.

“Our ideas lined up,” Watson said. “Who he wants to be, who I want to be. We just kind of connected on that level. It wasn’t anything about: ‘Our team’s gonna win championships.’ We were talking the other stuff, that stuff that comes with being a professional golfer or part of a team. And that’s really what gave him the idea to come to us.”

Well, that, and one other factor.

“Who doesn’t want to play with Harold Varner?” Watson laughed. “As soon as you say Harold’s on the team, everybody’s like, hold on for a second, I want to be on that team because Harold is so fun and loving and caring. Obviously, Talor was drawn to that as well.”

With the decision made, Gooch had one other thing to do. Tell DJ.

“It’s almost like telling your girlfriend: ‘Hey, I think we’re going to have to part ways,’” Gooch said with a laugh. “But at the end of the day, he understood. It was not a fun conversation but it went smooth, and DJ took it well.”

THE AUDITION WENT WELL

Peter Uihlein and Brooks Koepka. LIV Golf

Like Gooch, Uihlein was a team captain in London — and a successful one. He led the Crushers to a second-place finish, albeit 14 strokes behind the winning Stingers. Meanwhile, Uihlein finished tied for third on the individual leaderboard.

When Bryson DeChambeau joined LIV Golf and became the Crushers captain starting in Portland, Uihlein stayed on the roster. But as DeChambeau began to fine-tune his line-up, Uihlein moved to the pre-Bubba Niblicks team. During the off-week prior to Boston, Uihlein and Koepka were at the northern end of Medalist Golf Club in South Florida. Koepka asked him about his plans. Uihlein was honest.

“I didn’t have any,” he recalled. “I just didn’t want to keep bouncing around. I wanted to do something, be a part of something for the rest of the year.”

Koepka was also honest. He said that Wolff -— who had become the most productive player for Mickelson’s HyFlyers — remained on his radar as a potential Smash player for 2023. Uihlein was fine with that. He jumped to Smash for the rest of the season.

“In my opinion, it was a win-win,” Uihlein said. “If we played well as a team, that’s great. You play well, you make more. Then if I played well, I was on the radar for other teams.”

He indeed played well. At Chicago, he tied for second with Johnson, three strokes behind Cameron Smith. Just as important, he played in the final group with those two major winners and held his own; at one point, he was within a shot of Smith. “That was big for me. Huge,” Uihlein said.

Johnson’s radar was now pinging.

The next event was LIV Golf Bangkok. After Johnson made his interest known on the putting green, Uihlein was flattered but now felt the pressure to perform. At Bangkok, he tied for 20th at 8-under, same as Gooch. Good, but not eye-popping.

Then at Jeddah in the regular-season finale, Uihlein opened with a 5-under 65. So did 4 Aces star Reed. That meant they were paired for the second round.

Uihlein and Reed have competed against each other for many years, going back to their college days. “He smoked me twice at nationals in back-to-back years,” Uihlein remembered. He wanted to make a better impression in Jeddah.

They started on the second hole. Uihlein opened with four consecutive birdies en route to a 7-under 63 that moved him atop the leaderboard. Reed shot a 69.

“In my mind, that was an audition,” Uihlein said. “I wanted to play well in front of him … That’s how I approached that day, and it obviously worked out well.”

The decision was made: Uihlein would join the 4 Aces for 2023. Considering Koepka had been transparent about wanting Wolff, it was an easy conversation for Uihlein to explain his move. “No animosity, no tension, nothing,” Uihlein said. “It’s just business is business.”

Uihlein and Wolff are tight. They’ve shared many practice rounds at their home bases in South Florida. They’ve often talked about being teammates on LIV Golf, especially since their careers did not cross at Oklahoma State.

“We wanted to try to play together, but there were no spots,” Uihlein said. “I think ultimately we both ended up in the right spots for us.”

As for joining the 4 Aces?

“I’m joining a team that arguably has one of the top three players in my generation of all time. And then an unbelievable Ryder Cup player, major winner in Patrick Reed. And then a 20-year veteran in Pat Perez,” Uihlein said. “In my mind, I’m going to a situation where I know they’re going to help me get better. And whatever I can do to help them and help the 4Aces win, that’s great.

“The reality is, it all starts with DJ and Patrick Reed.”

FINDING THE RIGHT FIT

Matthew Wolff. LIV Golf

Matthew Wolff became engaged in the off-season. He popped the question to his girlfriend Kim Lloyd at a hotel in her family’s hometown of Philadelphia. They were standing outside on a balcony on one of the high floors when he knelt down and proposed.

It was approximately 6 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Absolutely freezing,” Wolff said. “Luckily the wind wasn’t gusting up there or it probably would’ve been unbearable.”

Wolff looks forward to being married, to start the next chapter of his life. But he’s still just 23 years old. Kids may be in the future, but not now.

Now compare that to his former HyFlyers captain. Phil Mickelson is 52, has three grown kids and has been married to wife Amy since 1996. The other former HyFlyers teammates were also well into their 30s, with much more life experience than Wolff.

So when the opportunity to join a Smash team led by the 32-year-old Koepka, along with younger brother Chase (age 29) and veteran Jason Kokrak (37), it just seemed a better fit to Wolff.

“One of the biggest reasons I went over to LIV in the first place was that you’re going to be spending a lot of time with your team, talk to them, get close with them,” Wolff explained. “I think it’s hard for me, because of my age, to relate to someone because they might be a little older or at a different stage in life.”

There’s something to be said about getting close with the players on your team.

In essence, he just wanted to have more in common with his teammates. Nothing wrong with that, and no knock against the HyFlyers, the only team with a World Golf Hall of Famer on its roster. When Mickelson first approached Wolff about joining LIV Golf last year, the young star couldn’t resist.

“It’s Phil, right?” Wolff said. “Obviously I respect his game and the player he is and what he’s done. And he taught me a lot. Great guy. He really cared about us, wanted us to win.”

But with Wolff and the Koepka brothers all living in close proximity to each other in Florida, the team camaraderie could be a year-round thing.

“We’ve been playing a lot, practising, kind of spending time together,” Wolff said. “I think there’s something to be said about getting close with the players on your team. Obviously, you want to win as a team, but it gives you a little extra when you know them a little bit more personally.”

The team environment is especially important for Wolff, who didn’t really enjoy the, ahem, lone wolf lifestyle so prevalent on most professional tours. He loves hanging out and competing with his buddies, knowing others on the course have his back.

“We talked about it being the most fun he’s ever had playing golf,” said Uihlein. “And this is coming from a kid who finished second in the US Open (in 2020). You’d think that would be a good time. But golf can be very lonely. It can be very difficult. We just have more fun playing now.”

Uihlein also believes that Smash is the perfect landing spot for Wolff. “I know Brooks will look after him, which is good,” Uihlein said. “I think that’s what Wolffie needs.”

It was less than four years ago that the big-hitting Wolff won the 2019 NCAA Division I championship as a sophomore at Oklahoma State. He then turned pro, and in his third start captured his first pro win. A year later, he tied for fourth at the PGA Championship before that runner-up finish to Bryson DeChambeau at the 2020 US Open, which Wolff led after 54 holes. Stardom was just around the corner.

But 2021 turned into a lost season, and Wolff was left searching for a spark. He found it after joining LIV Golf. A tie for eighth in his first start in Portland. A tie for second at Bedminster. Then he recorded LIV’s first (and still only) ace in Boston. He ended the regular season tied for fifth in Jeddah.

He had found a home. The team concept works for him.

“In the past, it was a grind,” Wolff said. “I didn’t really have anyone. I was hotel room to hotel room. I just got lonely out there. But now I’m enjoying it again. I’m just having fun.”

Perhaps the only part that wasn’t fun was telling Mickelson that he was leaving the HyFlyers to play for a new team.

“He took it fine,” Wolff said. “At the end of the day, once you get into this team stuff, you start realising how much more it means, and the emotion that goes along with playing for more than just yourself. I just thought I had to do what is best for me, and he understood that.

“Phil’s a good guy. He definitely wants me to continue to play well and continue to be good. He thinks I’m a young guy with a big future in golf. So kudos to him to make sure that my future is in good hands.”

MODEL OF THE FUTURE

Talor Gooch with the 4 Aces. LIV Golf

So who’s the real winner in this three-player transfer?

Is it the 4 Aces, who lost a terrific contributor but added the third-best player from the 2022 season?

Is it the RangeGoats, who have significantly upgraded their roster with a key component from last year’s top team?

Is it Smash, who brings in a young talent loaded with potential greatness, a player who can overpower any course when he’s on his game?

From the perspective of the players making the moves, all three consider the changes as ultra-positive ones. From each team’s perspective, the additions are vital since three scores will be counted in each round. From a fan perspective, it just adds a layer of intrigue that previously had not existed in golf, but that has certainly been prevalent in team sports.

“This is what’s going to happen now,” said Crushers captain DeChambeau, an interested observer whose roster remained the same in the off-season. “You’re going to have trades happen every single year. It’s going to be unique and different. We’re going to flip-flop.

“I can’t wait to see what’s going to come from this model. You’re going to have the individual medal play for the title, but then you’ve got the added team component. How can that not be good? You look at the counting scores and no matter if you’re in dead last, you’re still fighting for your team. Can you give me one reason what that isn’t good for the sport?

“That’s the frustrating part, some people looking at it and going, is this really a better entertainment product? Well, yeah, it is.”

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WATCH: Sit back and admire Wolff record the first-ever LIV Golf hole in one

Matt Smith — Sat, 03 Sep 2022 10:01:47 +0000

Matthew Wolff celebrates the first-ever LIV Golf hole in one. LIV Golf

By Matt Smith
History was made on Friday as Matthew Wolff recorded the first-ever hole in one at a LIV Golf event.

The American aced the second hole at The International amid ‘howls’ from the raucous Boston crowd (think Wolff), and the galleries erupted when the ball took on hop and dunked in the hole.

Wollf was still smiling after his first round at the fourth LIV Golf event of 2022 as he shared the lead with Talor Gooch.

Watch the ace here:

MATTHEW WOLFF HOLE IN ONE

FIRST IN LIV GOLF HISTORY ? #LIVGolf #LIVGolfBoston pic.twitter.com/pxukPFdYxH

— LIV Golf (@LIVGolfInv) September 2, 2022

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Cameron Smith delivers on his LIV Golf debut as he hunts leaders Wolff and Gooch

Matt Smith — Sat, 03 Sep 2022 08:17:53 +0000

By Matt Smith
The question of what Cameron Smith would bring to LIV Golf on his debut rang around The International outside Boston on Friday. And the Australian world No. 2 delivered like he was a seasoned vet on the tour, after leaving the PGA Tour last week.

WATCH the live action from LIV Golf here

The Open champ not only played with the conviction of a man used to team events, he also seemed to revel in the ‘Golf, But Louder’ environment, ramping up the Bostonian crowds amid raucous scenes.

Smith opened his LIV Golf campaign with a six-under 64 to sit one off leaders Matthew Wolff and Talor Gooch.

The mulleted Aussie roared out of the blocks after the shotgun start, racking up three birdies and an eagle on the opening eight holes in Massachusetts, before settling for his six-under total, and in a great position to follow Henrik Stenson last time out in Bedminster as a debutant winner on LIV.

Smith joined five other players making their bow in the series’ fourth event — including Joaquin Niemann, Harold Varner III, Anirban Lahiri, — and they also fitted right in, with the Chilean tying Smith for third, the Indian No. 1 T5 on four-under alongside the likes of Paul Casey and Louis Oosthuizen. American Varner, who admitted he received abuse after announcing his decision to move to LIV Golf, sits T10 with Dustin Johnson and Lee Westwood on three-under.

Despite the inevitable criticisms, laid-back Smith said he didn’t feel any added expectations in the 54-hole, no-cut event. “I don’t think it was any added pressure,” he said “I just wanted to go out there and do my thing. At the end of the day, we’re all competitors and we’re trying to do what we can.”

Never one to be upstaged, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman opened affairs by parachuting on to the course amid fanfare.

“That was something that I haven’t experienced before on the first hole, but it was cool,” Smith said. “It was just a good way to start a tournament. [Today] kind of had a bit of everything; it was very up-and-down. It probably wasn’t one of my best driving performances.

“I feel like the crowd out there is almost on top of you, with the music. It feels like the course has a bit of a heartbeat. It was very different, I would say, but something that I really enjoyed, and I can’t wait for this to keep going onwards and upwards.”

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LIV Golf Bedminster takeaways as Stenson surges, Wolff swing shift and Westwood’s revival

Matt Smith — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 07:01:52 +0000

By Matt Smith
While Henrik Stenson was surging to a LIV Golf debut title at Trump National Bedminster in New Jersey, there were plenty of other talking points out on the course. Here is a little run-through:

Wolff in the swing

Matthew Wolff started the day seven strokes off the pace but was the only player who mounted a significant charge in the final round. His bogey-free seven-under 64 left him at nine-under, two strokes behind winner Stenson.
Thanks to the tiebreaker rule, Wolff was awarded second place on the podium ahead of Dustin Johnson.
Wolff, who made his LIV Golf debut in Portland and plays for Phil Mickelson’s Hy Flyers team, credited a recent swing tweak as the difference-maker. He said it involved leaving his hands at the top a little longer so that he doesn’t get too quick and hit it left.
“Kind of got a swing thought earlier this week that I was feeling really good with, so just kind of stuck with it,” Wolff said on Sunday. “Feel like I hit it good all week, even the first two days. Just putts didn’t drop, and I got a couple of bad breaks. Today, it came together.”
Thanks to Wolff’s play, Hy Flyers were able to make a push in the team standings. They fell just short of the podium, behind Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces, Stenson’s Majesticks and Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs.

WATCH: LIV Golf highlights

Westwood rolls back the years

Majesticks skipper Lee Westwood was excellent all weekend from tee-to-green at Bedminster, as he led the field in fairways hit (88 per ent) and greens in regulation (78 per cent).
So impressive was his play that one of his playing partners, Cleeks captain Martin Kaymer — who had been in the same group as Westwood for two of the three rounds — turned to the veteran Englishman on Sunday and said, “That was a joy to watch.”
Westwood responded. “That was nice of him to say. So yeah, I’m playing well. Look forward to the rest of the year.”
Westwood finished at four-under and a tie for sixth. While pleased with his ball-striking, he knows one part of his game prevented him from getting in the mix Sunday.
“I could not buy a putt,” Westwood said with a wry smile.

Carlos Ortiz. LIV Golf

Ortiz firing once again

Carlos Ortiz made his LIV Golf debut in Portland and finished second. At Bedminster, he finished solo fourth. And in both events, his Fireballs team finished third.
Suffice to say it’s been a productive couple of starts for the Mexico native, who provided the dramatic clinching putt for Fireballs on the final hole in Portland.
“I’ve never had this much fun in a golf tournament,” Ortiz said after his three-under 68 on Sunday. “It’s unbelievable.”
Too far behind Stenson to push for the individual trophy, Ortiz knew he needed to stay sharp since Fireballs were trying to hold off a late charge from Hy Flyers in the team event.
“I had no chance with the way Henrik was playing but I knew it was close for third place,” Ortiz said. “That really pushed me.”

What they said

Henrik Stenson: “I think there might have been a little bit of extra motivation in there this week. When we as players have that, I think we can bring out the good stuff. Yeah, I certainly did that this week. I guess that’s been a bit of a theme over the course of my career, I think, when I really want something I manage to dig a little bit deeper, and a lot of times we manage to make it happen.
Lee Westwood (on Stenson): “Not a bad way to start your LIV Golf career, is it? Think he’s been playing quite well recently but not getting the results. It was a good time for him to play well again.”

Round 3 stats

Driving distance -– Paul Casey, 338.8 yards average
Longest drive – Paul Casey, 360 yards
Driving accuracy – Louis Oosthuizen, 93 per cent (13 of 14 fairways)
Greens in regulation – Lee Westwood, 94 per cent (17 of 18 greens)
Scrambling – Matthew Wolff, 100 per cent (4 of 4)
Fewest putts – Sergio Garcia, 23
Putts in GIR – Matt Jones, 1.42
Eagles made – Matthew Wolff (10th hole), Brooks Koepka (10th), Justin Harding (15th hole)
Bogey-free round – Matthew Wolff (64)
Easiest hole – 590-yard par-5 8th, which played to a stroke average of 4.500.
Hardest hole – 185-yard par-3 7th, which played to a stroke average of 3.354.

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LIV Golf: Meet the players — the field is set for Portland showdown

Matt Smith — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 06:39:38 +0000

The dust has settled on Centurion and the LIV Golf tour makes its way stateside this week as the top players including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed et al tee off in Portland, Oregon, at Pumpkin Ridge on Thursday.

Watch: All the action live from Portland

LIV Golf confirmed the final three spots in the 48-man field on Monday night, with rising American star Matthew Wolff joining the ranks, along with World No. 2 amateur Eugenio Chacarra and Mexican favourite Carlos Ortiz . All three will make their LIV Golf debuts this week, where they will contend for $25 million in prize money.

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LIV Golf Invitational Series

The field for the LIV Golf Invitational Portland

Abraham Ancer, MEX, Rank: 20, Three professional wins
Richard Bland, ENG, 69, Two career wins
Itthipat Buranatanyarat, THA, 607, Three wins on the Asian Development Tour
Laurie Canter, ENG, 122, One professional win
Eugenio Chacarra, ESP, 1,084, World No. 2 amateur

Bryson DeChambeau. David Cannon

Bryson DeChambeau, USA, 30, Major champion; 10 professional wins
Hennie Du Plessis, RSA, 134, Three professional wins; runner-up at LIV Golf Invitational London
Sergio Garcia, ESP, 59, Major champion; 36 career victories
Talor Gooch, USA, 39 Two professional wins
Branden Grace, RSA, 125, 14 professional wins
Justin Harding, RSA, 114, 11 professional wins
Sam Horsfield, ENG, 77, Three professional wins
Yuki Inamori, JPN, 106, Four professional wins

Dustin Johnson. David Cannon/R&A

Dustin Johnson, USA, 16, Former World No. 1; Two-time major champion
Matt Jones, AUS, 72, Four professional wins
Sadom Kaewkanjana, THA, 119, Former Asian Tour Order of Merit leader (2 wins)
Martin Kaymer, GER, 224, Former World No. 1; Two-time major champion
Phachara Khongwatmai, THA, 136, Youngest player to win pro event (2013)
Sihwan Kim, USA, 137, Two Asian Tour wins
Ryosuke Kinoshita, JPN, 91, Three professional wins
Brooks Koepka, USA, 19, Former World No. 1; Four-time major champion
Chase Koepka, USA, 1,607, Six professional top-10 finishes
Jinichiro Kozuma, JPN, 109, Two professional wins
Graeme McDowell, NIR, 372, Major champion; 16 victories

Phil Mickelson. Patrick Smith

Phil Mickelson, USA, 83, six-time major champion; World Golf Hall of Fame
Jediah Morgan, AUS, 251, 2021-22 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit
Kevin Na, USA, 34, Nine professional victories
Shaun Norris, RSA, 76, 12 professional wins
Louis Oosthuizen, RSA, 23, Major champion; 20 professional wins
Wade Ormsby, AUS, 285, Four professional wins
Carlos Ortiz, MEX, 119, Four professional wins
Adrian Otaegui, ESP, 169, Three professional wins
Pat Perez, USA, 170, Four professional wins; 74 top-10 finishes
Turk Pettit, USA, 615, 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Champion
James Piot, USA, 1,785, 2021 US Amateur Champion

Ian Poulter. Ross Kinnaird

Ian Poulter, ENG, 98, 19 professional victories; former World No. 5
Patrick Reed, USA, 38, Major champion; Nine professional wins
Charl Schwartzel, RSA, 123, Major champion; LIV Golf Invitational London winner
Travis Smyth, AUS, 405, International Series Order of Merit Qualifier
Ian Snyman, RSA, 379, International Series Order of Merit Qualifier
Hudson Swafford, USA, 96, Four professional wins; 12 top 10 finishes
Hideto Tanihara, JPN, 183, 16 professional victories
Peter Uihlein, USA, 329, Former No. 1 Amateur; Four professional wins
Scott Vincent, ZIM, 92, Four professional wins

Lee Westwood. Getty Images

Lee Westwood, ENG, 85, Former World No. 1; 44 professional wins
Bernd Wiesberger, AUT, 97, 13 professional victories
Blake Windred, AUS, 269, Earned first professional win in 2021
Matthew Wolff, USA, 77, One professional win and seven top-10 finishes

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LIV Golf: Wolff, Chacarra and Ortiz sign up to set field for Portland

Matt Smith — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 05:26:53 +0000

By Matt Smith
LIV Golf has set its field of players for the second leg of its series in Portland Oregon with the announcement of the final three playing spots.

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Rising American star Matthew Wolff joins the ranks, along with World No. 2 amateur Eugenio Chacarra and Mexican favourite Carlos Ortiz . All three will make their LIV Golf debuts on Thursday in Portland at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, where they will contend for $25 million in prize money.

Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra. NCAA

One of golf’s longest hitters off the tee, the 23-year-old Wolff has quickly established himself among the game’s top competitors. An All-American at Oklahoma State University and winner of the 2019 NCAA Division I individual championship, Wolff then turned pro in 2019 and secured his first professional win less than one month later. He has continued to make an impact within golf’s elite, reaching a career-best No. 12 in the world in October 2020 and earning seven top-10 finishes, including runner-up at the US Open and fourth at the PGA Championship.

Chacarra will make his first appearance as a professional with LIV Golf after turning pro this week. The 22-year-old is a two-time All-American at Oklahoma State University, where he was a finalist for both the Ben Hogan Award and the Haskins Award as the NCAA’s top collegiate golfer. Chacarra made 14 collegiate starts in 2021-22, winning three times with six additional top-six finishes.

Mike Ehrmann

Ortiz, winner of four professional tournaments, has been a standout since turning pro in 2014. He has spent 80 weeks of his career ranked in the top 100 and reached 44th in the world in February 2021. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico and a collegiate golfer at the University of North Texas, Ortiz represented his country in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021.

“Our impressive roster of LIV golfers continues to grow with incredible young talent and international stars. Matthew Wolff and Eugenio Chacarra have both made a name for themselves as two of golf’s most promising talents, exhibiting impressive success at an early age. I’m eager to watch them play alongside Carlos Ortiz, one of Mexico’s most consistent pros who along with many of our other golfers represents LIV Golf’s continued commitment to growing the game on a global scale,” said Greg Norman, CEO and Commissioner of LIV Golf. “LIV Golf is providing new opportunities for the best players in the world to compete, and our field in Portland reflects that. We can’t wait to kick off our first U.S. event with these incredible golfers.”

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LIV Golf: World No. 2 amateur and PGA’s Matthew Wolff the latest names rumoured to be joining LIV Golf ahead of Portland

Matt Smith — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 08:37:57 +0000

Matthew Wolff. Tim Nwachukwu

By Matt Smith
Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, the World No.2 amateur, and rising PGA Tour star Matthew Wolff, are the latest names set to join the LIV Golf Invitational Series, according to reports.

Lopez-Chacarra, who will turn professional this week, is an Oklahoma State University graduate and has three wins in his amateur career. He has also made three appearances on the PGA Tour.

The Spaniard claimed the Amer Ari Invitational in February this year before taking the NCAA Columbus Regional crown in May.

Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra. NCAA

Wolff shot a final-round 66 on Sunday at the Travelers Championship, and that may have been his last tournament on the PGA Tour.

The 23-year-old tour winner is expected to be the latest name to make the jump to LIV Golf and he is expected to join the 48-man field next week in the series’ second event at Pumpkin Ridge outside Portland, Oregon.

MORE DP World suspends LIV Golf players
LIV Golf: Top stars set for Portland

Wolff’s short PGA Tour career has had plenty of ups and downs. He won an individual NCAA Championship in 2019 as a sophomore at Oklahoma State then jumped out onto the PGA Tour and won this third event, the 3M Open. He topped Collin Morikawa there in a playoff. In 2020 he tied for fourth place at the PGA Championship and finished second at the US Open at Winged Foot. His highest position in the Official World Golf Ranking was 12th after a second-place tied at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open later that year.

In early 2021, Wolff took a hiatus from the tour to deal with his mental health. This year he’s missed seven cuts, his best finish on the PGA Tour is a tie for 25th at the Wells Fargo Championship and he tied for 40th at the Travelers Championship. Oddly enough, his last top-10 finish is a sixth-place tie at the Saudi International back in early February. He’s now ranked 77th in the world.

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