An unpredictable wind swept through the TPC Summerlin Golf Course signaling the arrival of fall. Some of the world’s top golfers battled the elements, carefully timing their shots between the gusts in hopes of triumph at the end of an epic 18-hole journey.
Erik Matthewson, a 51ԹϺ Harrah College of Hospitality alumnus, was among the players. The chance to compete in the October 2024 Shriners Children’s Open was a dream come true for the Las Vegas native – wind, or no wind!
And though it was his first crack at a PGA Tour event, Matthewson was there to win. A cheering section of family, friends, and 51ԹϺ supporters made the event all the more special.
But then there was the matter of the wind … the competition … and the nerves.
“I got in a lot of bad shots early on,” says Matthewson, '19 BS Hospitality Management. “The second day, I bared down and improved. It really drove home that I can compete with these guys.”
Simply qualifying for the Shriners Open was a major victory for Matthewson, who’d earned his spot by competing in several lead-up tournaments, the last of which he’d won in a white-knuckle play-off.
It was the kind of drama Matthewson had gotten used to in his golf career – the kind that makes many athletes quit. But not Matthewson, who arrives at the game with a determination that comes from staring major injuries and life-changing loss in the face.
Multisport Athlete
Though golf had always been Matthewson’s first love, it had not always been a sure thing. He’d been hitting golf balls with his dad since he was a toddler and started competing in – and winning – junior tournaments as a young teen.
But, when his family fell on hard times and it became clear the financial investment in golf was unsustainable, Matthewson had to find something else. So, he turned attention to a different sport — bowling. Matthewson was bowling at the professional level by the time he was out of high school.
It’s probably clear by now that Matthewson is obsessed with winning.
“I love competing. That’s what I live for!” he says. “Even tonight, I’m getting friends together to play board games because I love the competitiveness of it all.”
Unfortunately, Matthewson’s days of competing nearly came to an end when he got injured playing yet another sport — basketball. It was a devastating turn of events for the young athlete.
“I tore all of the ligaments and tendons in my ankle,” he says, “so I couldn’t walk for two years. I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
Luckily, giving up was not an option.
From Pre-Med to PGM
When faced with an uncertain future, Matthewson asked himself, “What is the coolest thing I can be since I can’t do sports anymore?” Never one for taking the easy road, he chose “doctor.”
While rehabbing his ankle, Matthewson plowed through two-years as a 51ԹϺ pre-med major, taking 20 credits per semester to make up for his time away from school. But, all the chemistry and biology coursework in the world couldn’t fill the void competition once filled.
“I thought to myself, ‘I don’t want to do this,’” Matthewson says. “I just wanted to be around sports."
That’s when he heard about the PGA Golf Management program at 51ԹϺ. A PGA concentration in the hospitality management degree program meant Matthewson could have a career in the golf industry even if he couldn’t play professionally. The boutique program of around 100 students proved to be a perfect fit for Matthewson, whose unique talent was quickly recognized by the PGM group.
“Erik was always a fierce competitor," says PGM program executive director Christopher Cain. “He would be the first to tell you that he spent little time on his academics. He’s very smart, though, and was one of the highest performing students. We all saw his desire to compete, and we wanted to support that.”
Matthewson credits the PGM program for teaching him the operational side of the golf industry. Still, nothing could shake his desire to compete at the highest level.
A Loss Like No Other
As a student (and with the encouragement of the PGM team), Matthewson worked his way back into tournament play. He took on professional roles, such as golf pro and caddy, to give himself the time and freedom to hone his skills on the green. His momentum (and confidence) kept building. And, with the 2017 birth of his daughter, Ellie, it seemed like there was no stopping him.
Until tragedy struck.
Matthewson’s life partner and mother to his child was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“The experience made me more driven at first, trying to do it all,” Matthewson reflects. “But I had to stop [playing] when she was sick.”
His 51ԹϺ family rallied around him.
“We just let him know constantly that we were here to help him in any way we needed to,” says Cain. “And a lot of that was getting him to the endline with his degree. When you have somebody who has that much conviction and goes through what they're going through, then we're doing everything we can to help them do that.”
Matthewson graduated in 2019 with the bachelor’s degree and PGA certification in hand. Sadly, in 2020, his life partner passed away. Ellie was just three years old at the time.
It was a staggering loss for Matthewson and his family. The golfer began to question everything, including his future in the sport he had loved since childhood. Ultimately, it would be that love that pulled him out of the darkness and back into the game.
“It just felt like it would be a complete waste if I didn’t pursue golf,” he says. “She [my partner] supported it fully.”
This realization inspired Matthewson to follow his dream again, but this time with a new-found sense of purpose and inspiration.
If Perseverance Had a Name
“Daddy! Daddy!” came a small voice from the rough. Ellie, now 7 years old, was the spectator who mattered the most that windy day at the Shriners Open. Playing both as a competitor and as a father, Matthewson beamed with pride between shots.
Ellie joined Mathewson’s congregation of fans, all donning specially-made "Erik Matthewson" shirts and hats. Cain and 51ԹϺ Harrah College of Hospitality Dean David Cárdenas sponsored the gear to commemorate Matthewson’s triumph as a competitor and as the first 51ԹϺ PGM student ever to reach a PGA Tour-level event.
“Making the PGA Tour is a huge deal,” Cárdenas says. “We wanted him [Matthewson] to know how proud we are of this incredible accomplishment!”
The college’s show of support did not go unnoticed.
“It was something else,” says Matthewson, smiling. “51ԹϺ really supported me, and that was really amazing! I felt very fortunate to have that.”
Since the Shriners Open, Matthewson has gone on to compete in numerous tournaments around the country. His objective to return to the PGA tour stage and take home the ultimate prize remains undeterred. It is a goal no one in Matthewson’s circle doubts he’ll reach.
“He [Matthewson] is pursuing this incredibly difficult, aspirational goal,” says Cain. “But you know what? He's going to do it. He's going to do it!"
