Who Is Matti Schmid? All You Need To Know About The German Golfer Going For PGA Championship Glory

If you've been following the 2026 PGA Championship, the name Matti Schmid will very much be on your radar, quite possibly for the first time.

The German golfer kept pace with leader Alex Smalley heading into the final round, and after seven holes on the Sunday, he had solo lead at six-under.

He would be a very surprising winner if he can go on to lift the Wanamaker Trophy, having never won on the PGA Tour previously.

Regardless, Schmid certainly looks like the kind of player we should be paying more attention to now. If you want to know more about him, you came to the right place.

There is plenty you might not know about Matti Schmid at this stage, but here's all the key information about the 28-year-old.

Matti Schmid bio

Matthias Schmid, as he's formally known, was born 18th November 1997 in Germany.

He comes from a golfing family, with his father formerly being a club professional, working not too far from Munich. He's actually been Schmid's caddie before, most notably at the Open Championship, though it's now Chris Selfridge on the bag.

Away from golf, Schmid enjoys skiing and football. He's even met German football star Thomas Muller.

He has a girlfriend, called Nora, who he has been dating since way back in 2017.

Schmid Played College Golf At University of Louisville

After impressing as a youngster, Schmid would move to America and attended the University of Louisville from 2017 to 2021, competing for the Louisville Cardinals golf team.

He very nearly broke a record there, too. While at University, Schmid recorded a 69.91 scoring average during the 2019-20 season, the second best in the history of the establishment.

Schmid also won the Old Town Club Collegiate in 2018 while at University.

Amateur Dominance

Not content with making history in University, Schmid would go on to dominate the Amateur Golf scene in his early career.

Schmid won the 2017 Bavarian Mens Championship at just 20-years-old.

He also won the 2019 and 2020 European Amateur Championship, and was the first player to defend the title since Ashley Chesters in 2013 and 2014.

In 2019, at the Diamond Country Club in Austria, Schmid shot 63 in round three and then held on to secure a three-stroke victory. He won by the same margin a year later, this time at Zurich Golf and Country Club in Switzerland.

While still an Amateur, Schmid qualified for the 2021 Open Championship. There, he shot a second-round 65, equalling the record set by Tom Lewis in 2011 as the lowest-scoring round for an amateur in the tournament. His third and fourth round were not quite as impressive, and he ended up T59 for the event, but he was still the leading amateur over the week to take the silver medal.

No Professional Wins For Schmid... Yet

After that outing at The Open, Schmid turned pro and was invited to a string of events on the DP World Tour. Shortly after, he finished runner-up at the Dutch Open.

By the end of the season, he had done enough to earn the honor of being named Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year for the 2021 European Tour season.

Since joining the PGA Tour in 2023, Schmid has played plenty of events but is yet to secure a victory. That year, he finished third at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

In 2024, his best finish was a T3, coming at the Shriners Children's Open, and he also came 5th at the Black Desert Championship.

Schmid went one better last year, coming in second at the Charles Schwab Challenge to land over $1m in prize money from that event alone.

This season, so far, Schmid's best showing was T5 at the Puerto Rico Open back in March. Suffice it to say, a top five finish, or even a win, at Aronimink, would be a career high for the underrated German golfer.

Schmid has made over 100 PGA Tour appearances and has collected almost $6m in prize money.