By Bill Sheehan

Matt Schafer didn't have an easy time growing up.

His father, Allen, suffered from liver disease and was in and out of hospitals during Schafer's early childhood. "I grew up a little faster than most kids," he said.

But Schafer and his brother, Tyler, found an outlet that provided some relief during those stressful years – golf. Tyler, who is three years older, played several sports before focusing on golf. Trying to keep up with his brother, Schafer teed up for the first time at age 6.

Their mother Jane not only encouraged them to play golf but got a second job as a starter at Recreation Park 9, a public nine-hole golf course in Long Beach. She wanted to make it easier for the boys to play at the city's five golf courses. "Golfing was a crucial element in their upbringing, and it provided a good outlet for them," said Jane, whose husband passed away when Schafer was 9. "Matt looked up to his brother and wanted to play golf like him. They developed a close relationship."
 

The brothers played countless rounds across Long Beach, sharpening their skill sets. They competed in youth tournaments and later at Wilson High School in Long Beach, where each played as No. 1s on their respective teams.

Both became Division 1 golfers. At Long Beach State, Tyler Schafer earned  First Team All-Big West honors and competed as an individual performer at the NCAA Regional. Matthew Schafer was walk-on at Fullerton before earning a scholarship.

Matt Schafer now hopes to close out his Titans career on a high note. The 21-year-old wants to help Fullerton win a team championship at the Big West Men's Golf Championship, which opens Sunday at La Quinta Country Club.

The tournament features 54 holes of stroke play over three days, with the top four scores from each five-player team counting toward the daily total. The winning team receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional field, and the individual champion -- if not from the winning team -- also earns a regional berth.

"Everything we do in the regular season is geared toward the conference championship. We have been practicing a lot more as a team of late and working on our games. It's important that we treat the Big West tournament like a regular season event, so we don't want to get all riled up or out of sync. We must trust the work we have put in," Schafer said.

"This could be my last tournament at Fullerton, I want to enjoy it. I want to play well and individually finish in the top five."

The Titans recorded their sixth top 10 finish of the 2024-25 season over the weekend at the El Macero Classic near Davis. The team tied for ninth place. Tegan Andrews and Schafer were the Titans' top performers, tying for 26th and 40th, respectively.

"The team is looking more solid in the last few tournaments, making fewer mental errors and handling nerves much better. It's been a step in the right direction," said Titans head coach Jason Drotter. Schafer's 73.3 scoring average is second on the team, behind Tegan Andrew's 70.5. They will be the only Titans at La Quinta with Big West tournament experience. Andrews competed in the conference tournament in 2021, 2022 and 2024. Schafer did so in 2023.

Having played La Quinta multiple times is a huge advantage, said Drotter, who is in his 13th year as head coach. "That golf course requires a lot of course management. Having seen it and knowing how to play it will help them a great deal."

"Matt is a great ball striker and always has been. But as he has gotten stronger, he's gotten better and better. He is the most incredible driver of the ball I've ever had at Fullerton," said Drotter, noting that Schafer combines high fairway accuracy with 300-yard-plus power off the tee.

Schafer is capable of a high finish at the Big West Championship, Drotter said. "He is always in the mix because he doesn't have penalty shots or big numbers on his card. Putting has always been an issue, but he started rolling it much better in recent weeks."

The 5-foot-9 Schafer, who uses a Calloway Ai Smoke driver and an Odyssey putter, said his putting issues have been more mental than mechanical. "I've worked with Brian Cain, our sports mental performance coach. He has me stepping behind the ball and taking a really deep breath before going into my routine. And I focus on the putt itself, rather than on making or missing it. That's what I try to do every time."

As a freshman, Schafer competed in five of 11 tournaments, finishing with an average score of 77.73. He had perhaps his best season as a sophomore, lowering his average to 72.5 and competing for Fullerton at the conference tournament. In 10 tournaments as a junior, he averaged 72.63 and set career bests at the Nick Watney Invitational in Fresno with a low round of 66, a score of 202 and a fourth-place finish.

This season's highlights include a season-best low round of 68 at the Ram Masters Invitational in Fort Collins, Colo., a low score of 218 at the Grand Canyon University Invitational in Phoenix and a 20th-place finish at the Orange County Collegiate Classic.

Schafer's consistency and calm demeanor are two of his trademark traits, said his teammate Andrews, the reigning conference individual champion and Big West Golfer of the Month for March. "Matt practices lightly but efficiently, and he does things his own way. Whatever the situation, he remains calm and cool," said Andrews. "He has a natural leadership aura. Matt usually doesn't have a lot to say, but when he does talk, people listen closely."

Jane Schafer, who is called "golf mom" by her friends and co-workers, said the sport has been a major factor in her sons' overall development. "Golf kept them grounded. They met many good friends through junior golf. I like the fact that they have their own character and skills," she said. "A lot of people saw them grow up on the golf course and often ask me how the boys are doing."

At Wilson High School, the brothers played for then-head coach Jeff Evans. They were teammates during the 2018 season, when Tyler Schafer was a senior and Matt Schafer was a freshman. Tyler placed second individually at the CIF-SS Championship that year.
 

Matt Schafer's junior season in 2020 at Wilson was cut short by the pandemic. "I didn't touch a club for three months," he said. That summer, he got a job filling divots at the Virginia Country Club, which allowed him to practice on the private Long Beach course several days a week.

As the pandemic disrupted college recruiting, Tyler told an acquaintance, then-Fullerton golf assistant coach Matt Wilson, that his brother was looking at multiple college golfing programs. In time, Shafer accepted a walk-on offer from Fullerton and later won the Moore League Individual Championship as a senior.

"Matt has really found his personality at Fullerton," said Tyler. "He was a good fit for the school, and he gets along with all his teammates. He hits the ball with more accuracy than most people. When he is on, he can be scary."

Their late father, who had a career in sales, golfed with his sons a few times prior to his illness. Matt Schafer said his mother plays once or twice a year, just for fun.

In addition to her golf course job, Jane owns and operates TM Promoz, an embroidery and silk-screening business in Long Beach. Her parents, Asnee and Samuntha Thanasom, relocated from Bangkok, Thailand, to help the family when the boys were young. Asnee still lives with them. Samuntha died two years ago.

Schafer, who will graduate with an economics degree in May, enjoys playing basketball and pickleball with his teammates in his off time. He also took up drawing and painting during the pandemic. His favorite golf pro is two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler. "I think he's just down to earth and super-solid," he said.

Schafer's favorite venue is The Preserve in the Carmel area. Schafer has accepted an offer from Drotter to serve as the Titans assistant coach next season. In a way, he will again be following in his brother's footsteps. Tyler is serving as the Long Beach State assistant coach this season.
 

"Coach Drotter and I have a really good relationship. We have had some ups and down. But I listen to him because I know he has more experience and has been doing it for a long time. And he cares a lot about his players," said Schafer.

"I think I can help the team members by giving them advice that I wish I would have gotten in my earlier years." Drotter, meanwhile, believes Schafer will find success as a coach. "He works hard and always does things the right way. He is someone for the players to emulate."

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