What do you love about cross country?: The team aspect more than anything else. I just love being able to go out and run with a whole bunch of other people rather than on my own.
Most memorable moment in cross country: Joining the team for the first time in freshman year. It was the first time I really ran in earnest and the first time doing a more centralized team sport.
Most embarrassing moment in cross country: Running poor times at Judges Classic a few years in a row, especially last year. I had a very poor showing. I definitely pulled it together this year at the Judges Classic. (Doran placed 15th in a 3.1-mile time of 17 minutes, 46.03 seconds.) [Before], I think I was not ready for the course and not so feeling so well day of.
Most difficult moment in cross country: Finding ways to overcome the challenges that we faced from injuries last year and this year. This year we lost Will Thomas, so it was hard to keep my team together and make them feel like we still had a good chance of making a good showing of ourselves.
People you can have dinner with, dead or alive: My dad James; he passed away a few years ago. He died before I was really able to get to the point in my running career where I feel like he would have been most proud of me. I felt like we missed out on a lot, and I think it would have meant a lot to him that I was able to finish out this year much stronger and be a good captain to my team. Any of the players from the Washington Capitals, because they’re my favorite sports team. I like all of them. And [British middle-distance runner] Josh Kerr; I like seeing him run and win races. It’s just really enjoyable to see people who are at the pinnacle of the sport.
Biggest athletic influence: My mom. She’s a runner, and she’s the one who made me join the team freshman year, and I ended up loving it.
Favorite teacher: Lenny Vasquez. He’s my [information technology] teacher, and I also had him last year. IT is one of my favorite fields. Right now I work for the city in the IT field. [Vasquez] is the one who taught me a lot of what I know.
Favorite athlete: Washington Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren
Favorite sports team: Washington Capitals
Favorite movie: “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery”
Favorite TV show: “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”
Favorite song: “Vengeance” by Blue Oyster Cult
Favorite food: Chicken wings. I like to get them anywhere I can, but Buffalo Wild Wings is a personal favorite of mine.
Worst thing you’ve eaten: Sauerbraten
Plans after high school: I want to go to the University of Montana, which I just recently got accepted to. I want to learn to become a park ranger. I’m very outdoorsy. I love being outside. The idea of working in the field of nature really interests me, and I love the park system in particular.
Matthew Baldwin is a seasoned golfer who’s conquered adversity. With a storied career spanning multiple continents and Tours, he embodies the spirit of resilience and determination. This seasoned English golfer has battled through trials and tribulations, honing his craft on the DP World Tour and Challenge Tour. Baldwin’s journey is a testament to his unwavering passion for golf. So, let’s delve into the DP World Tour stalwart’s story, who’s inspiring fans with his passion.
Matthew Baldwin’s early tee shots and a lifetime passion
Baldwin’s love affair with golf began in his hometown of Southport, England. Born on February 27, 1986, his golfing journey started at just three years old. And it was his grandfather, Ronald Ryderman, who introduced him to the game in a humble field. This chance encounter sparked an unrelenting passion that gave him the drive to pursue his goals. A sports enthusiast himself, his grandfather had played rugby league for England and Great Britain, instilling him with a winning mentality.
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As Baldwin grew, so did his talent. His impressive junior career was marked by two notable victories in 2004: the European Boys’ Team Championship, where he represented England at Finland’s Kymen Golf Ry, and the Jacques Léglise Trophy, representing Great Britain & Ireland at Scotland’s Nairn Golf Club. As captain of the England Boys’ team, Baldwin’s amateur career was ablaze with promise. Turning professional in 2008, he embarked on a journey that would test his resolve, resilience, and dedication.
What aspect of Matthew Baldwin’s life intrigues you the most?
His journey through challenges
What do you think is the most heartwarming aspect of Ashleigh and David Buhai’s love story?
Supporting each other’s careers
Overcoming challenges together
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But little did he know, his professional career would be shaped by his ability to overcome adversity and injuries.
Baldwin weathers the storm through injury, illness, trials, and success
The 38-year-old’s DP World Tour journey began at the 2010 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, although he missed the cut. After graduating from the Challenge Tour in 2011 and highlighting his potential with a T5 finish at the Scottish Open, he earned a Tour card for the 2012 season. And in 2012, he also featured in the two coveted majors. However, his professional journey was soon beset by challenges that would have broken a lesser golfer.
After graduating from the Challenge Tour in 2011, he faced a debilitating illness and two potentially career-ending surgeries, threatening to derail his dreams. The struggle to provide for his family weighed heavily on his shoulders. “I started temporarily in 2008, played a little bit on the Alps tour, the Challenge tour, ” he recalled.
“And then 2012 was a great year for me, rookie year, and played two majors. From there it was consistent through to the end of 2014, and then, starting the year in 2015, a steady start. And then went off the year with injury, and then coming back from that period, it’s been really tough for me.” Despite the setbacks, Baldwin’s determination never wavered.
Years of hard work and persistence, including six grueling trips through qualifying school, couldn’t dampen his spirit. This gave way to his dream come true moment.
Matthew Baldwin strikes his maiden DP World Tour victory
Years of unwavering dedication finally paid off for Matthew Baldwin. After 200 starts, countless setbacks, and unrelenting perseverance, he achieved the unthinkable. It was in August 2023, that he secured his maiden DP World Tour victory. It was the SDC Championship in South Africa, where he carded an impressive 18 under-par performance.
In that moment, Baldwin revealed a pivotal shift in his mindset. “I stopped worrying about the outcome and the result, and played some of my best golf,” he reflected. The 37-year-old noted that it wasn’t until the final two shots that he allowed himself to truly savor the moment.
“I never really settled until I hit the last two shots,” Baldwin recalled. It was then that his caddie offered sage advice, stopping him in his tracks. “He stopped me after the second shot and said, ‘Enjoy this moment, because it might never happen again.’” Initially taken aback, his expression changed to one of understanding. “Oh, excuse me,” he chuckled, “but then I realized what he meant – most of the time when you win a tournament, you can’t enjoy it. So I really kind of took a step back and enjoyed it.” With this, he reached a career-high 180th spot in the OWGR.
As Baldwin’s professional journey reached new heights, his personal life also flourished.
His personal triumphs beyond the fairways
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Outside the spotlight, Matthew Baldwin cherishes moments with his loved ones. On January 15, 2023, he proposed to his wife, Claire Boaler, in a romantic getaway to Palm Dubai, as captured on his Instagram. A year later and just four days into 2024, the couple tied the knot. When not on Tour, he seeks solitude on thrilling adventures – from safaris to skydiving.
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At home, he is joined by Barney, his adorable Goldendoodle, who often steals the show on his social media. Apart from golf, he is a die-hard Liverpool FC fan. He seizes every opportunity to cheer on his team at Anfield Stadium. His passion for the beautiful game extends beyond his golfing achievements.
From humble beginnings to a DP World Tour victory, Matthew Baldwin’s story is a testament to the human spirit’s capacity to overcome adversity and achieve triumph.
Grieving hockey fans erected a memorial Saturday on the New Jersey corner where an alleged drunk driver claimed the lives of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother Matthew.
A cross crafted from old hockey sticks bearing the names of the brothers and their respective player numbers was plunged into the ground alongside County Route 551 in Oldmans Township, where the duo had been cycling together Thursday evening.
Several other sticks were arranged on the grass peppered between dozens of flower bouquets, balloons and a sign promising that the brothers will be “forever in our hearts.”
A makeshift memorial with hockey sticks and Gatorade was erected on the corner where the Gaudreau brothers were killed. Suchat Pederson/New York PostA cross bearing the brothers’ names and player numbers was made out of hockey sticks. Suchat Pederson/New York Post“What makes this so sad is that it could have been preventable. If he drank, why didn’t he just take an Uber?” one grieving visitor said.
Suchat Pederson/New York Post
Odes to the Gaudreaus’ respective hockey careers were also offered up at the memorial — including two bottles of Gatorade, which served as a nod to Johnny Gaudreau’s tradition of sharing a bottle of the sports drink with his old Calgary Flames teammates after scoring a goal.
They even left behind flowers, hockey sticks and even jerseys front of the home of their surviving family members — who were meant to be celebrating a wedding rather than the loss of both brothers.
“What makes this so sad is that it could have been preventable. If he drank, why didn’t he just take an Uber?” one grieving visitor, who declined to share their name, said of the alleged drunk driver.
Matthew and Johnny were cycling along the road when they were struck and killed. Getty Images
Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, were biking in their New Jersey hometown when they were struck and killed by a motorist who allegedly told a state trooper he guzzled “five to six” beers” before the crash.
The driver, Sean Higgins, reportedly attempted to pass an SUV in front of him, which had moved into the middle of the roadway to give the brothers plenty of room, just after 8 p.m.
Follow the NY Post’s coverage on NHL star Johnny Gaudreau’s tragic death at 31:
The US Army Major tried to pass the SUV on the right, striking the Gaudreaus from behind. The county road is rural, with crops on either side. There are no shoulders or street lights.
The tragedy struck one day before the Gaudreau brothers were set to take part as groomsmen in their sister Katie’s wedding to hockey player Devin Joyce in Gloucester City, NJ. The family had even celebrated the wedding rehearsal just hours before the tragedy.
Johnny, who played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, leaves behind a wife and two young daughters.
Higgins — who appeared to sigh with exasperation in court upon learning he would be held in jail through next week — faces two counts of vehicular homicide.
