Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, and the PGA TOUR today announced that Matthew Wolff has won the 2020-2021 Aon Risk Reward Challenge trophy and the $1 million prize at the conclusion of the PGA TOUR season.
When Aon and the PGA TOUR launched the Aon Risk Reward Challenge in 2019, the goal was to create a season-long competition that recognized players who use information and advice to make better decisions on some of the most strategically challenging holes in golf.
Wolff is one of the game’s rising young stars, needing just four starts in 2019 to earn his first PGA TOUR victory at the inaugural 3M Open and earning his PGA TOUR card at age 20.
As he began to climb the Aon Risk Reward Challenge leaderboard over the last few weeks, he understood that with his final two rounds at the Wyndham Championship, he would meet the 40 round qualification minimum, and be a strong contender to win the Aon Risk Reward Challenge.
Wolff’s strategy translated into elite scoring ability, enabling him to birdie over 54% and eagle almost 9% of all Aon Risk Reward Challenge holes this season. This scoring advantage was especially significant on par 4s where he was able to gain .37 strokes per hole on the field.
His approach on the Challenge’s par 5s resulted in a staggering 45% Go for the Green success rate that was also 18 feet closer to the hole in average proximity among the field.
“I’m honored and excited to win the Aon Risk Reward Challenge which recognizes not only performance but also consistent, strategic decision-making,” said Wolff.
“It’s no secret that the harder the hole or course, the more I like it so each week I focused on making the right decisions when it mattered most which paid off in a big way. It’s an awesome way to end the regular season.”
“Congratulations to Matthew on an impressive season and Challenge win,” said Eric Andersen, President, Aon. “One thing we’re most proud about in the Aon Risk Reward Challenge is that it doesn’t favor one type of player in particular. In this Challenge, as in business, the ability to leverage insight and information as well as support and advice from your team, leads to better decision-making. Matthew was able to see the bigger picture, put everything together, and won the Challenge because of it.”
Wolff joins the list of previous Aon Risk Reward Challenge champions on the PGA TOUR, which include Brooks Koepka (2019) and Nick Taylor (2020). Koepka, Taylor and Wolff are all very different players with very different playing styles. What they have in common is their ability to identify opportunity, make smart decisions, and execute when it matters.
This unique competition is also being contested on the LPGA Tour, where the best decision-maker will also receive an equal $1 million prize at the LPGA’s season finale, the CME Group Tour Championship, in November.
About the Aon Risk Reward Challenge
The Aon Risk Reward Challenge is a unique season-long competition across the PGA TOUR and the LPGA Tour that highlights golf’s best strategic decision-makers. The Challenge takes the best two scores from every participating event a player competes in. Players must compete in a minimum of 40 rounds throughout the season to qualify.
The Challenge runs across regular season tournaments (38 on the PGA TOUR; 31 for the LPGA), with CBS Sports and Golf Channel as official broadcast partners. Each week in broadcast, Aon provides key insights specific to the Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole. To view the final Aon Risk Reward Challenge leaderboard on the PGA TOUR and for more information about the Challenge, click HERE.
To view the current Aon Risk Challenge leaderboard on the LPGA and for more information, click HERE.
