3 Questions for 3M Open Winner Matthew Wolff

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Matthew Wolff Wins 3m Open
Matthew Wolff celebrates with his caddie, Steve Lohmeyer, after making a eagle putt on the 18th green to win the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities on July 7, 2019 in Blaine, Minn. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

With a final-hole eagle, Matthew Wolff claimed a one-shot victory over Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa at the inaugural 3M Open.

Wolff finished his four rounds at TPC Twin Cities at 21-under par to secure his first career PGA Tour title in just his fourth career start. The victory earned the 20-year old California native $1,152,000, 500 FedExCup points, and 44 Official World Golf Rankings points.

Afterwards, Wolff, who won the NCAA Individual title at Oklahoma State last month, met with the media to discuss his life-changing victory. Here a few pulls from the back and forth.


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LIFE CHANGER

Matthew Wolff Wins 3m Open
Matthew Wolff celebrates with his caddie on the 18th green after winning the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities on July 7, 2019 in Blaine, Minn. Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

There are a lot of great things that go with this victory that we’ll get to shortly, but just some comments first about that putt on the last, the emotions and what it means to you right now.

MATTHEW WOLFF: I don’t think it’s really settled in yet. It’s life changing. You know, like you’ve seen it all before the last couple weeks, first-time winners and stuff. It’s something that I’ve always dreamed of as a kid growing up.

This round was — I learned a lot from it, but to have it end like this was everything I could have hoped and wished for. The putt on the last was, gosh, something that changed my life forever.

It was — you know, I’m speechless right now. It’s something that, you know, I’ll definitely remember as not only my first win, but that putt and to do that with all the nerves and trying
to get my Tour card was pretty special to me. You know, I had the same celebration when I won the National Championship at Oklahoma State. I kind of stepped and yelled “Come on!” So it was cool to see that. And like I said, it still hasn’t settled in, but just a dream come true.


BEST EXEMPTION

Matthew Wolff Wins 3m Open
Matthew Wolff plays his shot from the 17th tee during the third round of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities on July 6, 2019 in Blaine, Minn. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

This victory you become a Tour member once you sign on that dotted line obviously. There’s a lot of things that go with that; the two-year exemption, you get into the Sentry Tournament of Champions early next year, THE PLAYERS Championship, the majors, the Masters, so many different things that come at you. Have you had a chance to think about what is the most important thing? Is it the exemption, is it a specific tournament that you’re looking forward to?

MATTHEW WOLFF: I would say the Masters. That’s something that I’ve always dreamed of. My birthday’s April 14th, so I don’t know what it falls on next year, but when Tiger won it this year it was on my birthday. So it would be pretty cool to get that Masters win on my birthday.

But that’s something that’s the most prestigious event in golf. Augusta National Golf Club is amazing and I’ve always wanted to play there and never got to. That tournament is something that I’m really looking forward to.

For the most part, it’s just playing on the PGA TOUR, that job security. I’m a 20-year-old and I’m saying “job security,” but it’s just, it really is. I knew as soon as I left college that I’m
out here with the best players in the world and I have to prove myself, and I did that. Just feels nice to get that kind of, you know, six starts with trying to get my card off my shoulders.

Now I’m just free to play my game.


ON 18TH HOLE

Matthew Wolff Wins 3M Open
Matthew Wolff celebrates after a eagle putt on the 18th green to win the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities on July 07, 2019 in Blaine, Minn. Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Your thoughts on 18 as a finishing hole? Great memories obviously with the eagle, but just your thoughts on that hole and that being a finishing touch?

MATTHEW WOLFF: It’s my favorite hole in golf now. No, it’s awesome obviously because I love risk-reward par 5s. I’m a huge par 5 guy. I love par 5s because I hit it far.

But I watched that — when they had the Champions Tour event here, I remember that fairway being so wide and it being just pretty much a gimme birdie. I really like what they did, narrowed the fairway, brought that water in. It’s something that I love that being the last hole, because coming down the stretch like it proved, you know, Bryson was one back of me and eagled, now he’s one up.

Then Collin — or I hit it just left of the green, Collin hit it on the green. It’s a hole that probably we make look easy, but it really isn’t. And something that I really love to have, any golf course that finishes with that because it’s somewhere where you can have a one-up lead and hit it in the water or you can be two down and make eagle and tie it up and stuff.

So I really like those finishing. The putt was pretty special. Like I said, this course is one that I’m always going to remember.


Credit: PGA Tour Media, Getty Images


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