By: Arantxa Taberneiro
Sports Writer & Social Media Coordinator
When South Africa beat New Zealand by one point in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, Matthew Wordon cried. He had watched the match with other South African students at Wingate University, thousands of miles from home. That night, he used the South African flag as a blanket.
“I think that’s a memory that I will always have,” said Rodrigo de la Torre, Wordon’s former roommate.
Wordon came to Wingate to play golf. A wrist injury kept him from practicing with the team as a freshman and gave him time to make friends in other sports. Now a senior, he’s the teammate younger golfers turn to for advice.
“I met people who play other sports because of it, and I would say I have a much better social life because of it,” Wordon said.
Wordon grew up playing rugby and golf in Johannesburg, South Africa, before moving to England at 13. He thought he was better at rugby, but he chose to pursue golf because he figured he could play it longer.
He had long wanted to play golf in the United States and initially planned to turn pro. The injury changed his plans.
“I didn’t think I was going to come because I thought I would try and play instead of going to college,” Wordon said. “But then the injury happened, and I changed my mind.”
Wordon injured his wrist before arriving at Wingate and made it worse by continuing to play. He spent about three months in a cast and another three months in a splint. He couldn’t practice or lift weights with the team, and with practices held off campus, he rarely saw his teammates.
“I didn’t really have any role on the team freshman year,” Wordon said.
Wordon estimated that golf usually took up four to five hours of his day, including the drive to the course, team practice and time practicing on his own. While sidelined, he spent more time at the gym and with friends. De la Torre, who was also injured during their freshman year, saw Wordon use that time to meet new people.
Wordon roomed with a tennis player as a freshman, later shared an apartment with lacrosse players and now lives with soccer players. He credits his years playing rugby with getting him into the gym, a habit he kept as he focused on golf.
Away from campus, Wordon likes to spend his holidays with family in South Africa and go on safaris. He’s considered getting certified as a safari guide.
As the golf team’s only senior, Wordon now fields questions from younger players, including how to approach conversations with coaches.
“Being the only senior, I feel like I’m one of the people there for advice,” Wordon said. “They see me as someone they could come to.”
De la Torre has noticed the change.
“He’s now much more mature,” de la Torre said. “I think he grew a lot.”
Wordon, said he’s still unsure whether the injury affects his golf game. He hopes to compete again and plans to start a master’s degree while using a fifth year of eligibility.
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