TOP 20 IN THEIR 20s: No. 15  Editor's Note: Our "Top 20 in Their 20s" series continues as PGATOUR.com counts down the top golfers on the PGA TOUR aged 20-29 over the next two weeks. The list is based on 14 statistical categories, including TOUR wins, Official World Golf Ranking, percentage of time spent in the top 10 throughout their career and 2007 FedExCup performance. Get to know No. 15: Troy Matteson.
For some PGA TOUR players (such as certain ones named after wild animals), starting out on TOUR is easy. As you grow and adjust to TOUR life, it becomes a smooth ride to wins. But Troy Matteson's TOUR career has been a bit more bumpy.
Matteson, a rookie on TOUR in 2006, was in danger of losing his TOUR card after 27 starts without finishing in the top-10. But Matteson persisted and posted five straight top-10 finishes late in the year, capping off his streak with his first TOUR win at the Frys.com Open. Despite finishing No. 36 on the season-ending money list in his first season, year two hasn't been much easier for Matteson. He's been on a TOUR roller coaster ride, missing cuts then carding top-10s the next week. But one thing the 28-year-old Georgia native knows is how to pull himself out of a slump. "Obviously golf is a fickle game," Matteson said. "Sometimes you have really good years; sometimes you have really bad years. I think it just comes in so many shapes and forms that you've just got to get through the bad times." Getting through the bad times is much easier for Matteson than some on TOUR due to his travel arrangements. Driving an RV around the country to tournaments allows Matteson to relax and feel at home no matter what city he is in. "I drive a motor home, so that helps because I can drive my stuff around the country with me," Matteson said. "My wife likes that, too, we take our pets with us. In the motor home, my wife stayed out on the Nationwide Tour 25 straight weeks one time."
Matteson's youthfulness shows in his ability to play several events at a time without taking much time in between. Unlike the players that choose select events or have a strict schedule of with several breaks, Matteson enjoys playing for long stretches. "Maybe getting worn down sometimes helps you because your brain just can't over-think it," Matteson said. "But at the same time it's nice to stay fresh. Right now I'm so young that I'm still trying to find my way, trying to figure out how many I can play in a row, and I haven't found an approach that works. "If I play a lot in a row, I play good; if I play a few in a row, I play good. I can also play bad doing the same thing. It's just a matter of personal preference, but I like to play a lot." Who is No. 14? Hint: This young golfer learned the game from his dad "as soon as he could walk." |
PGATOUR.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network