Farmers Insurance Open: Two Holes Cost Matthew Wolff on Thursday

Note: Matthew Wolff withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday after his round, citing a hand injury.

Matthew Wolff was seen as one of the players who could contend at this week’s Farmers Insurance Open. But he did himself in on just two holes during his first round on Thursday.

Playing the South Course at Torrey Pines and playing the front nine first, the day got off to a tough start for Wolff. On the par-4 first hole, the young standout hit his opening tee shot into a fairway bunker. His second shot came up short of the green, leaving him in need of an up-and-down to save par.

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Wolff’s third shot got him on the green, but he was about 15 feet from the hole. His par putt missed and Wolff settled for an opening par.

He seemed to settle himself after his tough start. Wolff would par the next five holes to remain at 1-over par through six.

But on the seventh hole, Wolff had a disaster. He again drove the ball into a fairway bunker. He was forced to pitch out, back into the fairway, with his second shot. His third shot, from about 150 yards out of the fairway, left Wolff about 50 feet for par.

His fourth shot went just seven feet. His fifth got him within 22 feet of the cup. Then he missed the putt. By the time he finished, it was a triple-bogey seven that dropped Wolff to 4-over par. Wolff would par the final two holes on his front nine to shoot a 4-over par 40.

His back nine was no problem. With one notable exception.

That exception came on the 10th hole, where Wolff’s drive found the native area. He was forced to take a penalty and dropped in the rough, more than 300 yards from the hole on the par four.

His third shot left him 144 yards to the hole. From there, he hit his ball into a greenside bunker. His fifth was a pitch onto the green, leaving him about 13 feet for double bogey. But he missed, settling for his second triple of the day.

The weird thing about Wolff’s round was that, from there, he would par seven more in a row before closing the round with his only birdie of the day. It was a round of 14 pars, one birdie, one bogey and a pair of costly triples. The latter probably cost Wolff any chance of playing on the weekend at Torrey Pines.