3M Open: Matthew Wolff claims thrilling victory in third pro start

Matthew Wolff claimed his first PGA TOUR title in an epic finish that saw him hold off Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa on the 72nd hole of the 3M Open.

Matthew Wolff turned 20 years old on April 14th of this year. He’s been the nation’s top collegiate golfer out of Oklahoma State, an All-American, and as of last month, a newly-minted pro with a big sponsorship deal from TaylorMade.

Today, in just his third start as a pro, he’s also a PGA TOUR champion, claiming the title at the inaugural 3M Open in epic fashion.

In a tournament that turned into a bit of a shootout at TPC Twin Cities (9-under 62 was the best score in each of the four rounds), the action came down to the wire, with three different players having a real chance right through the very end of play. That group included Wolff, Collin Morikawa, and a resurgent Bryson DeChambeau.

DeChambeau made the most of his opportunity, especially coming off a lackluster round of 70 in Saturday’s third round. He went out in level-par 35, but made three birdies on the back nine, before making an impressive – and aggressive – eagle on No. 18.

After his drive found the right rough, Bryson wound up with a mighty draw into a tight front pin position, and he stuck it within seven feet to give himself a chance. With the final group of Wolff and Morikawa coming off 17 at 19-under, DeChambeau was all kinds of fired up as he took the clubhouse lead.

Of course, a closing par-5 giveth, and a closing par-5 taketh away. Wolff split the fairway with his tee shot, but he also gave himself a longer approach in than DeChambeau’s. From about 230 out, he found the left side fringe, at a distance he’ll likely never forget: 26 feet, 1 inch.

His eagle putt never left the line, tapping off the flagstick and rattling to the bottom of the cup to one-up DeChambeau and guarantee himself no worse than a playoff with Morikawa. Collin, a fantastic competitor in his own right who will certainly make more noise on the PGA TOUR, gave his own 22-footer for eagle a run, but when it rolled past the cup, the day was won.

https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1147992294122876928

Tell me, golf fans, how does it get any better than that? This was a week that began with the big names that were there – Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Tony Finau – and even those that weren’t (see you next year, Tiger?).

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It ended with three great young stars, one with a handful of wins already under his belt, and two working their tails off for their big break, not knowing whether it would come this day or some other down the line.

Wolff made the decision to turn pro after accomplishing basically everything there was to do in just two years at Oklahoma State, one of the greatest college golf programs in the country. And while it was a tough decision, his confidence never wavered.

"“I believed I was ready, my game was ready, but that’s a big step going from amateur golf to playing for a living at such a young age,” he said. “There were a lot of things in my mind, but I figured winning a national championship, there’s no better time to go.”"

Now, Wolff has gone from a sponsor’s exemption into the 3M Open, to a full-fledged PGA TOUR member for the next two years, along with an invitation to the 2020 Masters Tournament. Oh, and a $1.152 million first-place check.

Knowing what we do about Matthew Wolff, it’s safe to say that, while this win will certainly change the course of his career and even his life, he’s far from done with his to-do list. We’ll hold off on some of the comparisons to other generational talents who blossomed early, but suffice to say that the spotlight is on now.

If Sunday’s theatrics were any indication, I don’t think he’ll have any problem with that.