Matthew Wolff writing a pretty good comeback story at the U.S. Open

Matthew Wolff, after two months away from the game, returns with a solid round in the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday.

It’s easy, from the comfort of the living room, to see a super-talented 22-year-old professional golfer making millions of dollars on television and think they have it made. That there is nothing that could possibly be bothering them. But sometimes the average fan doesn’t know what’s going on when the TV cameras are turned off.

Matthew Wolff had the golf world in the palm of his hand nine months ago. He had just taken a two-shot lead into the final round of the U.S. Open at Winged Foot before finishing runner-up to Bryson DeChambeau in his tournament debut. The month before, he contended at the PGA Championship. The kid with the most unique swing on tour was already a champion and rose to No. 12 in the World Golf Rankings, all by the age of 21.

Then he stopped having fun. Whether the pressure of being so good, so young caught up to him, whether he was feeling burnt out, or something else entirely, Wolff’s game plummeted. He started to hit bad shots. He looked miserable on the golf course, the same place where he looked like a natural just a few weeks earlier.

Wolff withdrew from the WGC-Workday after a first-round 83. He was disqualified from the Masters after signing an incorrect scorecard (he shot 79 on Friday and would’ve missed the cut anyway). Wolff’s solution: step away from the game. He skipped the PGA Championship in May, instead spending time with the golf team at his alma mater Oklahoma State. He hardly watched any golf at all.

Wolff emerged from nearly two months off to face golf’s toughest challenge on Thursday, the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. His round mirrored his career: a spectacular start, followed by a terrible low, and, hopefully at least, a nice bounceback. He shot a one-under 70 in the first round and currently sits three shots back of leader Russell Henley.

He began his round by holing a 23-foot putt for birdie on the 10th, his first hole of the tournament. He made three birdies in his first four holes to take an early lead. But then he bogeyed 15, double-bogeyed the 16th after missing a three-foot putt, and bogeyed 17 to fall back to even. Two months ago, Wolff would’ve been dejected, unable to handle the swift turn in fortune he had just endured.

But that long hiatus did wonders for his state of mind. He reached the par-five 18th in two and made birdie, beginning a streak of three straight birdies and five in a span of six holes. His round could’ve been even better: just 150 yards from the green and in the middle of the fairway on the seventh (his 16th), he flared his second shot out to the right and made another double. According to stats guru Justin Ray, Wolff is the first player in at least 40 years to make eight birdies and two double-bogeys in a round at the U.S. Open.

Wolff benefitting from a new mindset on the course

For all the success Wolff has already enjoyed, including winning his third professional start back in 2019, it’s easy to forget how young he still is. He would be in his senior year at Oklahoma State right now and was still the reigning NCAA champion before two weeks ago. He just turned 22 in April.

To take a break, to walk away from the golf, took a maturity that belies his youth. “It was really hard,” he said after his round on Thursday. “I love the fans, I love being out here and I want to play golf for everyone and I think I just put too much pressure on myself. And it was a hard decision because I’m so new on the tour and it’s my first or second year and I didn’t want to walk away…and then when I finally started to get to a bad enough spot, honestly I was like, you know what, I need some time.”

What Wolff is trying to do is find some joy in the game. When before he would get down after a poor shot, he now has a new perspective. Bad shots are going to happen, it’s how you respond that makes you a champion. “I think the biggest thing right now that I’m trying to do is enjoy myself again and just care of myself really,” he said.

“I mean, I love these fans and I want to play well for them, but right now I’m just really trying to be happy and I…live a great life and I want to enjoy it.”

Wolff had a lot to enjoy on Thursday. He made a lot of birdies and put himself in a good position after 18 holes. Most importantly, he finally had a smile on his face. He was having fun again.