LIV star recaptures form after Brooks Koepka spat and his comments speak volumes

23 February 2024 , 20:27

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Matthew Wolff is back enjoying his golf again (Image: Getty Images)

Matthew Wolff has admitted he is back enjoying being out on the golf course again following a number of struggles off of it in recent years - including a fallout with his ex- LIV Golf captain Brooks Koepka.

Wolff was one of a number of PGA Tour stars who made the LIV switch, and in doing so, he teamed up with Koepka's Smash GC for the 2023 campaign. Things did not go to plan for the American though, as he went through a public fallout with the five-time major-winning captain partway through last season.

Slamming Wolff's work ethic, Koepka told Sports Illustrated last summer: "It's very tough to have even like a team dynamic when you've got one guy that won't work.

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"One guy is not going to give any effort, he’s going to quit on the course, break clubs, gets down, bad body language, it's very tough. I've basically given up on him—a lot of talent, but I mean the talent's wasted.” Wolff himself issued a response in the aftermath, admitting he was 'heartbroken' with his captain's comments.

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In the past the 24-year-old has spoken openly about his own personal mental health struggles, having claimed he had fallen out of love with golf whilst speaking at the U.S. Open. The 2024 season has presented a new opportunity for Wolff, though, having left Koepka's setup to join Bubba Watson's RangeGoats.

And after beginning the season with a 30th-place finish in Mexico, Wolff looked back to his best in Las Vegas, finishing event No. 2 in fourth, just two shots behind eventual champion Dustin Johnson. He has carried on that form away from the LIV circuit this week, after heading to Oman for the Asian Tour's International Series.

Matthew Wolff fell out with Brooks Koepka last season (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

The American has battled his way into contention heading into the weekend, after carding a faultless nine-under-par 63 in Friday's second round to leave him shot behind leader - and fellow LIV star - Mito Pereira. Speaking on the back of his impressive showing, a rejuvenated Wolff said: "I had a blast. I drove it really nice which allowed everything else to be a little easier.

"I am taking golf a little less seriously. I am also working hard with my coach George Gankas, but more than anything just putting a good perspective on things. Knowing that golf is not the most important thing in the world. I know that all I can do is give it my best, and the rest is out of my control.”

Wolff had announced himself as one of golf's hottest prospects after bursting onto the PGA Tour as a youngster in 2019. Just a month after turning professional, he landed his first Tour win at the 3M Open that same year before going on to finish as a runner-up in his U.S. Open debut in 2020.

Joshua Lees