What is wrong with talented youngster Matthew Wolff?
By DJ Cadden
Matthew Wolff has consistently been heralded as one of the most promising young stars on the PGA Tour.
In just his third pro start, at the young age of 20, Wolff put together a dominant 21-under par performance to win the 2019 3M Open.
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Until now, Wolff has been one of the most electrifying players on tour. In just 36 starts, Wolff has made 28 cuts and has finished in the top-10 five times, including a second place finish in the 2020 US Open.
However, after a playoff loss in the 2020 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Wolff has failed to make a top-10 in his last six tournaments. Over these last six events, Wolff has accumulated just 23.521 FedEx Cup points and currently sits at No. 18 in the Cup standings.
So what has gone wrong for Matthew Wolff in 2021?
Since his time on the PGA Tour began, Wolff has always been one of the longest drivers there is. His unconventional swing paired with the raw power has always been the calling card of his game. In 2021, Wolff averages 313.4 yards per drive, which is No. 9 among all golfers on tour.
Despite his astronomical drive distance, Wolff has struggled to keep the ball in the fairway in 2021. The 21-year old has hit just 53.49% of fairways this season, while the top players are hitting more than 70% of fairways.
However, the area where Wolff has struggled the most is in his play around the green. The youngster ranks an abysmal No. 218 in strokes gained around the green, which is among the bottom 25 golfers on the PGA Tour.
This was on full display in Wolff’s pathetic first round at the Farmers Insurance Open. On the two triple bogeys that derailed his round, Wolff made abysmal chips that made an already bad hole even worse.
At 21 years old, Matthew Wolff has all the time in the world to recover and cement his place among the best young players on tour. If Wolff wants to be known for more than just having a funky swing, he must improve in the more detail-oriented parts of the game.