USA TODAY International Edition
Future arrives for young golfers
John Deere Classic next for Wolff, Morikawa
SILVIS, Ill. – The newest PGA Tour champion had his back to the TPC Deere Run clubhouse door Tuesday afternoon as he contemplated a professional golfing life with his rivals and friends.
In the Quad Cities for the John Deere Classic, Matthew Wolff was recalling how at ease he felt down the stretch in last weekend’s 3M Open near Minneapolis. The 20-year-old Oklahoma State wunderkind thrived under pressure in just his third professional start, holing an eagle putt from off the 18th green Sunday to edge Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa by a stroke.
Wolff ’s playing partner, 22-year-old Morikawa, had a small leg up in experience since turning pro — four starts, to Wolff’s three. They’d grown up playing against each other in junior golf and in college (Morikawa went to California).
You better believe they’re competitive. But they were also smiling and chuckling and talking down the final few fairways with a blissful innocence.
“I told him walking down 18,” Wolff begins, “that the coolest thing about this is for about 20 years, it’s going to be me and you at the top …”
The clubhouse door opens, and who else could be walking out now but Morikawa? The runner-up spots the champion and walks up behind him, briefly wrapping both arms around Wolff’s neck and grinning widely before breaking into laughter.
Wolff explains to Morikawa: “I was literally just talking about how the next 20-30 years — ”
“I know, man,” Morikawa says. “I just said the same thing (to the media down in the clubhouse). We’ll relive the moment for a long time, for sure.” He claps a hand on Wolff’s chest before walking away.
The Deere prides itself on unique characteristics as it exists in the shadow of next week’s British Open, now the final major of the golf year. One of those is tournament director Clair Peterson’s history of giving the brightest future stars a precious sponsor’s exemption.
The track record of the Deere’s unrestricted sponsor exemptions is undeniable. Since 2000, 16 with a Deere exemption have gone on to win their first Tour event in the following five years. Thirteen did it within three. Three (David Gossett, Jordan Spieth, DeChambeau) had their first victories come here.
“We’re very proud of what they’ve done, and we celebrate with them,” said Peterson, who has run this tournament since 2002. “We’ve had great champions and guys here who want to be here, and the exemption strategy is part of that. We make it a place where guys who do make a name for themselves might want to return.”
This summer’s four unrestricted exemptions went to players who were ranked the top four amateurs in the world earlier this year: Wolff, Morikawa, Viktor Hovland and Justin Suh. Morikawa is 4-for-4 in making cuts. Hovland broke Jack Nicklaus’ amateur scoring record in the U.S. Open. Suh hopes he is finding his form.
For Wolff, the past 72 hours has been the predictable blur that comes with being the man of the moment. Many more responsibilities and “Wolff Pack” howls from fans. Much less sleep.
“I still can’t believe it. It was a pretty awesome experience, and something that’s probably not going to settle in for a little bit,” grinned Wolff, who shot 6265 (15-under) on the weekend.
The reigning NCAA Division I individual champion and Haskins Award winner joined Tiger Woods and Ben Crenshaw as the only golfers to win a collegiate national title and then on the PGA Tour in the same year.
Wolff knows his ultimate goals are to be rubbing elbows as a major winner alongside Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and others and to become the No. 1 player in the world. That singular number is his singular motivation, and partly why he’s been right back at it this week after a celebratory Sunday.
“Getting that first win is amazing and definitely gives me a head start on everyone else (my age), but it’s just a head start,” he said. “I have bigger goals in mind.”