Matt McCarty Bio
Matt McCarty (born December 11, 1997) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He earned his PGA Tour card in 2024 after a standout season on the Korn Ferry Tour, becoming the 13th player to secure a three-win promotion. McCarty, who plays left-handed, quickly translated that momentum into the top level of professional golf with a debut PGA Tour victory later that same year. He is widely regarded as one of the most promising young American players to arrive on tour in recent years.
Early Life and Background
Matt McCarty was born on December 11, 1997, in Scottsdale, Arizona. He grew up in the same Scottsdale community where he still resides, a city well known for producing accomplished golfers thanks to its year-round playing conditions and deep network of private and public courses. From an early age, McCarty was drawn to the sport, and the Arizona junior golf scene helped shape his competitive foundation.
Standing 183 centimeters tall and listed at 75 kilograms, McCarty developed his game in the American Southwest before moving west to continue his education. He attended Santa Clara University between 2016 and 2021, where he majored first in finance and later completed a graduate program in marketing. The college experience allowed him to compete at a high amateur level while also preparing a future outside of professional sport.
Path to Professional Golf
During his time at Santa Clara, McCarty earned All-West Coast Conference honors three times, establishing himself as one of the top college players on the West Coast. In 2019, he and teammate Derek Ackerman advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball after posting a 13-under-par 128 in stroke play, the best score in the field. Those amateur results signaled that McCarty was ready to test himself in the professional ranks.
McCarty turned professional in 2021 and began his career on the Forme Tour, where his best finish was a tie for fifth. He also captured the Wyoming State Open during this developmental period, an early title that hinted at his potential. In 2022, he moved up to the Korn Ferry Tour, the official developmental circuit of the PGA Tour, and steadily improved over the next two seasons, recording a T5 at the 2022 Chitimacha Louisiana Open and a T3 at the 2023 Bahamas Great Abaco Classic.
Matt McCarty Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
McCarty’s first season as a professional was spent primarily on the Forme Tour, where he adjusted to life outside the college game and learned how to score in a weekly competitive environment. His T5 finish on the Forme Tour remains his best result from that level, and the Wyoming State Open victory gave him an early confidence boost. Those experiences prepared him for the longer courses and tougher fields he would face on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Korn Ferry Tour Breakthrough (2022–2024)
McCarty joined the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022 and posted consistent results, including a T5 at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open in his first year. The following season brought another strong showing at the 2023 Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, where he finished T3. The real breakthrough came in 2024, when McCarty won three times in a six-week span, a remarkable run that clinched his PGA Tour card.
By locking up the number one spot on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour points list with one event remaining, McCarty secured full exempt status for the remainder of 2024 and all of 2025. The dominant season also earned him exemptions into the 2025 Players Championship and the 2025 U.S. Open. He was recognized as the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year, capping a defining chapter in his young career.
PGA Tour Era (2024–Present)
McCarty made an immediate impact on the PGA Tour by winning the Black Desert Championship in 2024, finishing at 23-under 261. The victory came in only his third career PGA Tour start and his second as a fully exempt member, with his first appearance having been the 2022 U.S. Open. He became only the second player, and the first since Jason Gore in 2005, to earn a three-win promotion on the Korn Ferry Tour and win a PGA Tour event in the same season.
The Black Desert win extended his exempt status through 2026 and granted him entry to several of the game’s biggest events, including the 2025 Sentry, the Masters Tournament, and the PGA Championship. The performance also moved McCarty into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He has since continued to compete regularly on the PGA Tour as he builds on his rookie success.
Notable Events and Milestones
McCarty’s 2024 season is the defining chapter of his career so far, defined by his three Korn Ferry Tour wins in six weeks, his Black Desert Championship title, and his rise into the top 50 of the world ranking. The trio of milestones established him as a serious contender on the PGA Tour and set a clear benchmark for the seasons ahead.
Matt McCarty Career Wins
Matt McCarty has compiled a verified list of professional victories that includes the Wyoming State Open, three Korn Ferry Tour titles in 2024, and his Black Desert Championship win on the PGA Tour. The 2024 Korn Ferry Tour hat trick stands as the foundation of his career, while his Black Desert victory confirmed he could win against the strongest field in professional golf.
Korn Ferry Tour Highlights
McCarty’s three Korn Ferry Tour victories in 2024 came in a six-week span and propelled him to the top of the season-long points list. He became the 13th player in tour history to secure a three-win promotion to the PGA Tour and was named the circuit’s Player of the Year. That stretch remains the most important run of his professional career to date.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his Korn Ferry Tour titles, McCarty captured the Wyoming State Open early in his professional career. He has also recorded several near-misses on the Korn Ferry Tour, including a T5 at the 2022 Chitimacha Louisiana Open and a T3 at the 2023 Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, results that pointed to the breakout that would follow.
Matt McCarty Family
Personal Life
Matt McCarty was born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he continues to make his home. He is known publicly for his dedication to the game and for representing his hometown as he competes at the highest levels of professional golf. Specific details about his personal relationships, parents, and family members are not part of his publicly verified record.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 PGA Tour season represents Matt McCarty’s first full year as an exempt member, a stretch that began with strong momentum from his 2024 Black Desert Championship win. His victory and the associated three-win promotion granted him entry into the 2025 Sentry, the 2025 Players Championship, the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, and the 2025 U.S. Open, giving him exposure to nearly every major event on the calendar.
With his exempt status secured through 2026, McCarty has the freedom to plan a structured schedule aimed at collecting FedExCup points and continuing his climb up the Official World Golf Ranking. A year that began with a debut major appearance at the Masters set a clear tone of opportunity for the young left-hander.
Looking ahead, McCarty’s goals center on solidifying his PGA Tour status, contending in the game’s biggest championships, and building on the consistency that defined his Korn Ferry Tour breakout. The 2025 campaign offers a clear chance to measure his progress against the strongest fields in golf, and his early-season major appearances will be closely watched markers of how far his game has come.