McCarty Wins First PGA Tour Title
Matt McCarty’s remarkable 2024 continued as he captured his first PGA Tour victory at the Black Desert Championship, marking an impressive milestone in just his third career start on the Tour. McCarty, the Korn Ferry Tour points leader for the year, had already secured a rare automatic promotion to the PGA Tour by winning three times in a single calendar year, a feat last accomplished in 2016.
While McCarty had dominated the Korn Ferry Tour, stepping up to the PGA Tour is an entirely different challenge. After holding a two-shot lead on the back nine of the final round at Black Desert, nerves seemed to creep in when he three-putted the 12th hole, cutting his lead to just one stroke.
However, McCarty quickly regained his composure. His tee shot on the 310-yard par-4 14th was so precise that playing partner Kevin Streelman had to mark McCarty’s ball before taking his own birdie putt. McCarty’s eagle on that hole pushed him to 22-under for the tournament, giving him enough cushion to close out the victory despite a bogey on the 17th, finishing at 23-under. Stephan Jaeger finished three shots behind in second place at 20-under.
This win caps off a meteoric rise for McCarty, who only secured his first Korn Ferry Tour win in July at the Price Cutter Charity Championship. He followed that victory with two more wins in quick succession, including a triumph at the Boise Open, which earned him a battlefield promotion to the PGA Tour.
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McCarty’s first PGA Tour start came just a week ago at the Sanderson Farms Championship, where he finished T63. However, he wasted no time adjusting to the higher level of competition, coming out strong at the Black Desert Championship with a blistering first-round 62 that included seven birdies and an eagle. A third-round 64 gave him his first 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour, and he carried that momentum through the final day to claim the win.
As a result of his victory, McCarty will now tee it up in prestigious events next season, including the Player Championship, the U.S. Open, the Sentry Tournament of Champions, and the Masters. His PGA Tour membership is also extended through the end of the 2026 season, securing his place among golf’s elite for years to come.
