Australian Institute of Sport athlete Matt Griffin has been named the Australian Golf Writers’ Association’s Rookie of the Year after superb achievements in 2009.

Joining the AIS program in 2007, Griffin quickly became Australia’s top — and the world’s number three — amateur by achieving six top-ten finishes in major amateur tournaments.

Griffin successfully made the transition from amateur to professional in October 2008, gaining entry to compete in the WA PGA Championship.

He earned his first-ever playing rights in January 2009, on the Asian Tour, after finishing in the top-ten of players at the 2009 Qualifying School in Thailand. Griffin’s first major title as a professional was at the 2009 Vodafone Fiji Open in June, where he won by 11 shots.

Griffin currently holds an Asian Tour card and has his sights set on gaining entry to the coveted US Tour School. He is also preparing to compete at the Australian PGA Championship tournament taking place in Coolum on the Sunshine Coast from 10 to 13 December.

The AIS Golf program provides an elite development pathway for talented Australian players to gain experience in competition and improve their skills and game across the amateur and professional levels.