Brandon Matthews is just one of 122 players in the field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week at Bay Hill and you are excused if Matthews’ name isn’t instantly familiar.
He’s never played in a PGA Tour event until this week, has won just once on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica three years ago and now he’s in a field that includes six of the top 10 players in the world golf ranking.
Because he did a sweet thing.
He hugged someone.
Not just someone but a fan with Down syndrome who inadvertently yelled as Matthews was trying to hole an 8-foot birdie putt on the third extra hole to extend a playoff in the Visa Open de Argentina last November.
The noise disrupted Matthews, who missed the putt, allowing Colombia’s Ricardo Celia to win the event and a guaranteed spot in the 2020 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s later this summer.
It wasn’t until a few minutes later, the disappointment still fresh, that a tournament official in Buenos Aires explained to Matthews what had happened. Rather than broo...
Get access to this article and all the quality, in-depth journalism of Global Golf Post Plus.
Sign Up for a FREE 14-Day Trial
or Log In