Sheffield golf ace faces huge sporting challenge before US wedding date

But 12 days after the last strike of the ball in Fife, Scotland, there will be an even more significant date ahead in his diary...his wedding!

On October 18, he will marry his American fiancée Katherine Gaal, a one-time beauty queen.

The event will take place at Bay Head, New Jersey, USA, a year after the couple became engaged just before the Ryder Cup in Italy.

Katherine has had a varied professional and educational life, she has worked and studied in marketing, broadcast journalism, software development and finance. She was also a tennis professional.

Back on the golf course, Matt can't afford to be too distracted by marital preparations.He is aware that only one other golfer in history, Tyrrell Hatton, has won back-to-back Dunhill championships, (in 2016 and 2017.)

But Matt, the former Tapton School pupil, hopes he stands a better chance to emulate that achievement if he approaches the task in a calm and flexible way.

The Sheffield United fan, who won by three shots in 2023 and partnered his mother Susan in the Team Championship, said: “Last year in the Dunhill I felt very relaxed and focused on playing well with my mum, not putting pressure on myself and trying not to get stressed out or getting frustrated.

“The Ryder Cup was the week before.

"That’s obviously a very stressful week. I’d not really had a great season, so having the feeling of being relaxed and not trying too hard helped to bring out the best in my game.”

Matt, who will have turned 30 years old before the tournament, hopes that will be the case this year.

"I think I’m going to go into it in the same way. It’s one of those championships you want to win, so I’ll work on my game and get it ready for then, but I won’t be trying anything different.

“Links golf is always enjoyable, even if you have to take it with a pinch of salt. You can hit some good shots and get bad bounces, and hit bad shots and get good bounces.

It’s just the natural contours of the ground. I think you’ve got to play with more patience on a Links course and you’ve really got to stick in there" he told the European Tour.

“It doesn’t get much better than winning at St Andrews" said the 2022 U.S. Open champion.

"To play in a tournament there and be in contention is something that you always remember. To say I’ve won a tournament there is even more special” said Matt, who pocketed $1,025,000 at The Players Championship in Sawgrass, Florida in March.

Earlier this month he earned $270,000 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, in Memphis, Tennessee.

But the South Yorkshireman - ranked at number 24 in the golfing world - had to withdraw from Team Great Britain's Olympic men’s golf set-up, due to a pre-existing right thumb strain. He quit shortly after shooting an 81 in the third round of play, saying he was "gutted."

The Dunhill Championship is heralded as "a celebration of links golf" and is played over the Old Course St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, from October 3-6. It has a prize fund of $5 million.