It’s tough to find a college program that churns out more Tour-bound talent than Oklahoma State. Matthew Wolff, Rickie Fowler and Viktor Hovland are just a few of the recent stars.
Wolff made noise in the opening round of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba with a 10-under 61. Cowboys men’s golf coach Alan Bratton later joined the Golf Channel broadcast to discuss some former and current members of his program.
Wolff has been battling his game for several months but has started to show signs of regaining his past form. Thursday was a perfect example as Wolff went bogey free for a round which not only set the course record at El Camaleon but earned him the 18-hole lead.
“Really proud of Matt. Traded messages with him earlier today and he was really proud he got the course record,” Bratton told Golf Channel. “He told me at Vegas, he texted me, and told me he was starting to get his game where he likes it to be. I think he said, ‘I’m back.'”
Wolff is looking to win for the first time since the 2019 3M Open, his only win on Tour.
Hovland, who’s the defending champion this week, made a nice five-footer on his last hole of the day Thursday to close out an opening 4-under 67. During his time at Oklahoma State, Hovland was the recipient of the 2019 Ben Hogan Award, given annually to the best men’s collegiate golfer based on year-long performance in college and amateur events.
“I’m not surprised at all Viktor’s settled in as one of the best players in the world…he’s got a confidence that I think is really rare,” Bratton said. “That’s one of the big separators for him is the confidence he has in his ability to execute. He’s not afraid to be vulnerable, and he has a clear picture of where he wants to go with his game and what he needs to do to continue to rise.”
Hovland will need to play more solid golf if he hopes to catch his old Cowboy teammate before the weekend gets underway in Mexico.
[lawrence-related id=778175965,778175944]
Eugenio Chacarra is currently a senior at Oklahoma State but is in the field this week in Mexico. His first round didn’t go according to plan as he paired seven bogies with five birdies for a first-round 73. He’ll have to make a run on Friday to make the cut as the expected number to hit will hover around 4 under.
Despite his struggles Thursday, his coach had glowing remarks about his game.
“He’s as talented as anyone who’s ever played at Oklahoma State. He doesn’t have the resume just yet,” Bratton told Golf Channel. “His talent is off the chart. He’s a fantastic ball-striker, and just an incredible talent, and a big, big personality.
“I think the sky is the limit and I’m not afraid to make a statement like that. The kid is really, really talented.”
Another member of the current Cowboy squad, Bo Jin, currently is in contention at the Asia-Pacific Amateur being played at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club. He went bogey-free in the second round, and if he holds on to claim the win, he’ll earn an invitation to the 2022 Masters, among other exemptions.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]