LIV Golf claims another PGA Tour player out of Palm Beach County

Another golfer in the top 100 is joining the LIV Golf Series.

Jupiter's Matthew Wolff is one of three new players joining LIV. He will be in the field for this week's event at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club outside of Portland, Oregon.

Wolff, 23, will be joined at Pumpkin Ridge by former PGA Tour winner Carlos Ortiz and Oklahoma State junior Eugenio Chacarra, the second ranked amateur in the world.

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Wolff turned professional after playing two years at Oklahoma State and winning the 2019 NCAA individual championship and 2018 Phil Mickelson Award as the nation's top freshman.

Matthew Wolff was part of the 2019 PGA Tour rookie class

Wolff was part of the celebrated 2019 PGA Tour rookie class that included Collin Morikawa, Victor Hovland and Sungjae Im. Wolff got off to a fast start, winning his third tournament as a professional, the 3M Open. He then rose to No. 12 in the world in October of 2020, after finishing fourth in the PGA Championship and second in the U.S. Open that summer.

But in the next four months he withdrew from two events before being disqualified from the 2021 Masters for signing an incorrect scorecard. Wolff then took off two months and later revealed mental health issues.

Wolff spoke of that difficult time when he returned last August.

"Some of the feelings that I had were like getting up in the morning knowing I had to get out of bed and just like not being able to, being like I don't want to get out of bed, I just want to stay in my bed and not be in front of everyone and not screw up in front of everyone," he said.

"If you don't feel a hundred percent right, no matter if it's physical or mental, it is an injury, and you should be able to rehab and take your time in order to get to a place where you need to be."

Wolff's best finished in 16 starts this season is second at the Shriners Children's Open in October. He has two top 10s. He is No. 77 in the world rankings. He has earned $7.6 million in prize money in his career.

Ortiz, 31, is from Mexico and lives in Dallas. His first season on the PGA Tour was 2019 with his lone win the 2020 Houston Open. Ortiz has 11 top 10 finishes in 160 tour starts, winning $7.75 million. He is No. 119 in the world.

Ortiz joins fellow countryman, Abraham Ancer, on the LIV series. Ancer is ranked No. 22.

Top amateur golfer also bolting for LIV

Chacarra, from Spain, lost last month in a playoff for the NCAA individual title to Gordon Sargent of Vanderbilt.

"My position is that of a player who is not a member of the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour, and I have not earned money while I have been an amateur, so I can play in this league without problems," Chacarra told the Spanish newspaper, Marca. "This contract gives me peace of mind and ensures the future of my family. I had already achieved everything as an amateur, and now I will be able to gain experience as a professional."

This week's LIV event, the breakaway tour's second and first in the U.S., will feature 20 of the top 100 players in the World Golf Rankings, including Jupiter residents Dustin Johnson (No. 17) and Brooks Koepka (No. 19).

How to watch LIV Golf Invitational

Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Portland, Oregon

Thursday-Saturday (54 holes)

TV: LIV Golf has no broadcast deals. Stream on LIVGolf.com, LIV Golf's YouTube channel and LIV Golf's Facebook page.

Tom D'Angelo is a journalist at the Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at tdangelo@pbpost.com. 

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: PGA Tour member Matthew Wolff joining Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tour