Matthias Schwab

He grew up in the ski resort of Schladming, Austria in a sporting family. His father Andreas, now retired from his job as an executive with Adidas, represented Austria in the bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics. So it was golf in the summer and skiing in the winter for Matthias. Golf won out and with it gave him the opportunity to go to Nashville, Tennesse and for four years attend Vanderbilt were he earned a management degree.
Established himself as one of the world's best amateur players during his junior playing days. Was ranked sixth in the world in the 2012 World Amateur Golf Rankings, and was the second-highest ranked European on the list. Finished sixth at the 2012 European Amateur, and made it to the quarterfinals of the 2012 British Boys Amateur, also made it to the finals of the 2012 British Amateur, and was one putt away from qualifying for the 2013 Masters as he lost to Alan Dunbar by 1 hole. He also finished in a T-2nd at the 2012 Austrian Amateur. Competed internationally in the fall of 2012 at the Junior Ryder Cup, where he went 2-0-1 in his matches against the best junior players in the United States. Made the cut in two European Tour events, the 2010 and the 2011 Austrian Open, and finished tied for 32nd and 45th, respectively. In 2013 made it to the round of 16 in the U.S. Amateur, losing to Scottie Scheffler 1 up. Finished in a T-14th at the European Tour Austrian Open, and T-3rd at the Swiss Amateur. In the fall of 2015 was sidelined due to a back injury, but before that participated in the Palmer Cup going 2-2 and won the Swiss Amateur.
Ended his amateur career as the best European in the World Amateur Golf Ranking after a hugely successful time at Vanderbilt University where he was a two-time All-American. Helped guide Europe to victory in the Palmer Cup in 2016 before turning professional the following season.
Golf at Vanderbilt was a great experience for Schwab, he enjoyed playing for coach Scott Limbaugh and got to play against the likes of Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Beau Hossler and Scott Scheffler.
Schwab loves extreme sports and joined the Red Bull Skydive team and joined them in base jumping in the Austrian mountains.
Schwab turned professional in June 2017, a week after graduating from Vanderbilt. He returned to Europe and played in 17 Challenge Tour events, making the cut in all 17 and finsihing in the top-ten, four times. His best finish was 7th at the Galgorm Resort Northern Ireland Open and T-7th in the Italian Challenge Open. He finished 32nd in the money race with euro59,479. At the end of the year, he finished T-21st qualified for the European Tour in Lumine, Spain.
2018 Notes: He played in 26 European Tour events making 18 cuts with four top-ten finishes. His best finish was T-4th at the Hero Indian Open, 4 shots back of the Matt Wallace/Andrew Johnston playoff. He won Euro532,009 and was 72nd in the Race to Dubai. During the year started working with swing coach Liam James, who reworked his swing. Around the greens worked with Mike Kanski, both teachers helped his game evolve.
2019 Notes: Played in 28 European Tour events making the cut 21 times with ten, top-ten finishes. He was runner-up twice, his good play started the spring with a pair of T-9th finishes at the Trophee Hassan and Made in Denmark. Soon after that was T-3rd at the BMW International Open, a tournament he was leading but played the final five holes in 2 over par finishing 2 shots back of the Andrea Pavan/Matthew Fitzpatrick playoff. Three months later at the Porsche European Masters, he shot a final-round 66 to it wasn't good enough as he was a shot back of winner Paul Casey. After that was T-4th at the Italian Open and then T-4th again at the WGC-HSBC Champions. In his next start at the Turkish Airlines Open went into the final round with a three-shot lead but shot 70 and dropped into a six-man playoff. With birdies at the 1st and 3rd playoff holes, he was able to make it to the fourth hole with Tyrrell Hatton but missed a short par put to give the victory to Hatton. Schwab ended his year with a T-20th finish at the DP World Tour, Dubai to finish 17th in the Race to Dubai with euro1,745,798 in winnings.
2020 Notes: Played in 14 European Tour events making 11 cuts. He was 99th in the Race to Dubai with earnings of euro254,593. Got off to a slow start, his best finish in five starts was in his last event before the layoff with a T-21st finish at the Qatar Masters. With the European Tour on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, Schwab spent the first 5 weeks of the lockdown in Austria and started practicing again in mid-April, but he did something creative to keep him in shape. He would juggle a golf ball while he was walking up a path up a mountain in Rohrmoos, Austria. The trick on the one-mile trek was to make it to the top without the ball dropping to the ground and finish with style as he pops the ball up into the air and smacks it into the distance of a snowcap mountain. Schwab spent the first 5 weeks of the lockdown in Austria and started practicing again in mid-April. In his first start back after the break missed the cut at the Memorial. His best finish was T-3rd at the Barracuda Championship, two points back of winner Richy Werenski. On the European Tour his best finish was T-13th at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
2021 Notes: Was T-9th at the Dubai Desert Classic. Finished T-7th at the Kenya Savannah Classic and Austrian Golf Open. Was T-8th at both the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open and Made in Himmerland.