Matt McQuillan has died at the age of 45, the PGA Tour has announced.
Per an online obituary, the Canadian, who hailed from Kingston, Ontario, developed a love for the game at the age of 10, when his dad, Mark, showed him how to swing a club.
He went on to play college golf at Oklahoma State and the University of Georgia before turning professional in 2003.
The early years of McQuillan's professional career were spent on the PGA Tour Canada, with his first victory since leaving the amateur game coming at the 2005 Telus Edmonton Open.
Five years later, he earned his PGA Tour card via Q-School and went on to play 32 times on the circuit, making the cut on nine occasions.
McQuillan also made three top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour, with the highlight being a tie for third at the 2011 John Deere Classic, where he finished behind winner Steve Stricker and runner-up Kyle Stanley.
Despite that achievement, McQuillan, who reached a career-high world ranking of 330th in October that year, wasn’t able to keep his full PGA Tour card, but he retained conditional status for 2012.
That season, he made the cut at the RBC Canadian Open in his home province at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, eventually placing T75.
A missed cut at the 2012 Frys.com Open marked the end of McQuillan’s PGA Tour career, although he made sporadic appearances on the PGA Tour Canada between 2013 and 2016 before becoming a teaching professional in his hometown.
No cause of death has been given. However, per the obituary, which describes McQuillan as a “respected golfer, devoted son, hilarious brother, and friend,” he passed away at Kingston General Hospital on Wednesday August 5th “surrounded by family.”
