Brandon Matthews recorded his first career birdie in a PGA Tour event on Friday when he sunk a three-foot putt on the fourth hole at Bay Hill in Orlando during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Unfortunately for the former Pittston Area star and PIAA state champion, it was the only birdie he scored in a round where he shot 9-over 81 for a two-day total of 12-over 156, leaving him far below the cutline to play in Saturday and Sunday’s rounds.
Matthews had another rough start to his day on Friday after bogeying two of the first four holes on Thursday.
Starting on the back nine, Matthews managed to find fairway bunkers with his drives on the first two holes of the day, which led to two bogeys.
He played the next five holes in 1-over before to sit at 3-over for the day and 5-over for the tournament before disaster struck on the 17th and 18th holes.
On the 194-yard, par-3 17th, Matthews put his tee shot into the water. Then after a drop, he hit his next shot into the rough before chipping to within four inches of the hole and tapping in for a double-bogey 5.
On the 443-yard, par-4 18th, Matthews again found the water – this time with his second shot – and had to scramble to make a double-bogey 6.
The 25-year-old did manage to play the front nine in a 2-over 38.
Matthews was given an invitation to the tournament after an incident involving Matthews and a fan with special needs went viral.
Matthews faced an 8-foot putt to extend a sudden-death playoff in the PGA Tour Latinoamerica event. A victory would mean a spot in the British Open and, perhaps more importantly to his career, graduation to the Korn Ferry Tour.
A fan screamed out in the middle of his stroke, and Matthews missed. He turned around in disbelief at such behavior, only to learn it was a middle-aged man with Down syndrome. Moments later, Matthews consoled the fan with a hug and signed a glove for him.
The moment got plenty of traction on social media and to organizers of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. They offered him an exemption to the tournament.
