Matthew Wolff goes crazy low at LIV event then fires message to Brooks Koepka
Matthew Wolff tore round The Greenbrier the first round of LIV Golf's event in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, carding a 9-under 61.
Matthew Wolff went crazy low in his first LIV Golf event since Brooks Koepka's scathing criticism of the young American.
Wolff caught the headlines a week before the 151st Open Championship when Koepka said he was 'done' with his 24-year-old teammate.
Despite all of his talent, Koepka said it was wasted on Wolff because of his poor attitude, accusing him of 'giving up' when the going gets tough.
Wolff would only offer one statement in the immediate aftermath of that criticism, suggesting Koepka's words were 'heartbreaking'.
He's still on Koepka's Smash side as he was unable to find a trade with another team on the Saudi-backed tour during a season break.
But whatever Wolff has worked on over the last few weeks has paid off after he tore round The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
Wolff started on the eighth hole in the shotgun start, 54-hole tournament alongside Brendan Steele and Thomas Pieters.
He birdied his first hole, a 214-yard par-3, and proceeded to play his next six holes in 5-under par.
The highlight of his round came at the 12th hole where he found the 570-yard, par-5 in two strokes and sank his eagle putt.
Wolff's only blemish came at the third hole where he dropped a stroke on another long par-3.
By day's end his 9-under 61 meant he had a two-stroke lead over David Puig and Harold Varner III, who both posted rounds of 63.
Varner was involved in this moment earlier in the week when he interjected Talor Gooch when the 31-year-old was asked about his Ryder Cup prospects.
Koepka, who became a father this week, is four strokes behind Wolff.
Unsurprisingly in the team element it's Smash that lead at 19-under, four ahead of Torque, Stinger and the RangeGoats.
Matthew Wolff leads after this eagle at Hole 12 #LIVGolf @SmashGC pic.twitter.com/oc7uO40tYh
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) August 4, 2023
Wolff told a pool of reporters after his first round he went back to see his coach after Koepka's criticism and they both agreed 'everything looked good'.
It was more of a case of just accepting bad shots when they happen, Wolff said.
He added:
Individual leaderboard
M. Wolff -9
D. Puig, H. Varner -7
D. Burmester, C. Tringale -6
J. Niemann, L. Canter, P. Uihlein, C. Howell III, J. Kokrak, T. Gooch, L. Oosthuizen, B. Koepka, D. Johnson -5
Team
Smash -19
Torque, Stinger, RangeGoats -15
HyFlyers -13
4 Aces -12
Majesticks -11
Cleeks -10
Crushers -9
Fireballs -6
Ripper -5
Iron Heads +2
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