Matt Wallace ended a six-year drought on the DP World Tour on Sunday in Switzerland.
The 34-year-old Englishman birdied the primary playoff gap to defeat Spain’s Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and win the Omega European Masters. It’s Wallace’s first worldwide victory since he captured final 12 months’s Corales Puntacana Championship on the PGA Tour, however it’s his first DPWT triumph since 2018, when he received 3 times on the European circuit – Hero Indian Open, BMW Worldwide Open and Made in Denmark. Wallace misplaced the 2022 European Masters in a playoff in opposition to South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence.
“I wasn’t targeted then,” mentioned Wallace, who sank an 8-footer within the playoff. “That’s targeted for me proper there. I’m buzzing.”
Wallace led by 4 pictures after a wild third spherical that noticed simply three under-par scores and a scoring common north of 76. Wallace adopted his Saturday 73 with offsetting pairs of birdies and bogeys on Sunday. He bogeyed his opening gap after which the par-3 sixteenth, the place he chunked a chip about 12 ft wanting the outlet and missed the par save. He additionally hooked his second shot on the par-5 ninth into the timber and needed to scramble for a tricky par. His birdies got here at Nos. 7 and 15.
He closed in even-par 70, opening the door for Garcia-Heredia and England’s Beef Johnston to make runs. Johnston carded 66 to finish up 10 beneath, a shot again. Garcia-Heredia additionally shot 66, sticking his ultimate method to five ft and birdieing No. 18 for the third time this week to drive further holes.
“That was a tough day, man,” Wallace mentioned, getting emotional. “It wasn’t straightforward. I felt like there was a rating on the market, however I simply couldn’t get something going. … I’ve been enjoying nice, and also you don’t wish to give it away, and I might’ve simply misplaced it a couple of occasions the final couple days, particularly yesterday with how arduous it was enjoying.
“However man, I caught at it, and that’s me, and that’s golf. That’s Matt Wallace golf proper there.”
Although early, Wallace now sits atop the European Ryder Cup factors standings for subsequent 12 months’s matches at Bethpage Black. Final 12 months in Rome, Wallace was working as a member of the media.
“I’m going to cease crying as a result of that is pleased,” Wallace mentioned. “That is nice, like – I work arduous, Ryder Cup, let’s go!”
