A first-time winner would complete the trifecta
AUGUSTA, GA.— In terms of major championships, Matthew Wolff likes the way this year is trending: a first-time major winner in Collin Morikawa at the PGA Championship; a first-time major winner in Bryson DeChambeau at the U.S. Open. Now comes the Masters, the third and final major of the year.
“The younger players now are definitely making a statement and saying that, you know, there’s a new generation coming in,” said Wolff, 21, who has yet to win a major but has come tantalizingly close. He finished tied for fourth at the PGA Championship, won by Morikawa, and second to DeChambeau at the U.S. Open.
Along the way, Wolff made golf history, becoming the first rookie to shoot his first five rounds in majors under par. This week marked his first time at Augusta National.
“I think it’s more of a dream come true than playing in any other tournament,” said Wolff, of Agoura Hills, Calif. “It’s the one tournament that as a kid, you always know exactly when it is, you watch every single shot that you can, and it’s kind of the mecca of golf.
“To be here in my first Masters is unbelievable, and it’s a place that I’ve not only dreamed of playing but playing in the Masters.”
It’s also the first time at Augusta for Morikawa, who broke through in August with a major victory at Harding Park.
Morikawa, 23, who grew up in California, said he considered coming out to Augusta early for some practice rounds before this week but opted not to because he has played so well recently on unfamiliar courses.
He acknowledged that players with Masters experience — the extreme examples being defending champion Tiger Woods and three-time winner Phil Mickelson — might have a slight edge.
“Experience never hurts,” he said. “Shoot, I wish I had played here 15, 20 times, however many times they have played it. I wish I had that knowledge, but I don’t.
“That’s going to grow over the years I keep coming back and I keep playing, but for now I have to feel like I can still compete with these guys. It’s not like I’m behind the eight ball already and I have a disadvantage. On Thursday, we all start at even par. That’s what you do every week.”