For most golf professionals, the Ryder Cup isn’t just a tournament, but an emotion, a feeling of pride, legacy, and honor. Unfortunately for Englishman Matt Wallace, that dream came painstakingly close this week in Switzerland, and then slipped away.
Wallace entered the Omega European Masters in Switzerland knowing the stakes.
A successful title defense could have forced his way into Luke Donald’s final six captain’s picks for Team Europe at next month’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
But after three solid rounds, the 35-year-old fell just short, finishing tied for second behind South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence.
The heartbreak came at the par-5 14th on Sunday. Wallace, trailing by one, went for the green in two but blocked his second shot into the water. The bogey that followed dropped him three shots back.
Wallace’s final-round 67 wasn’t enough to reclaim the title or secure his Ryder Cup spot. And when asked about his hopes during a live interview with Sky Sports, the emotion overwhelmed him.
He paused, visibly shaken, before finally saying, “I’d never give up on the Ryder Cup. I just won’t.”
Wallace has long worn his Ryder Cup ambitions on his sleeve. He was controversially left off the 2018 team by then-captain Thomas Bjorn, despite strong form that season.
This time, he sits 12th in the European Ryder Cup standings, just outside the automatic qualification zone.
With Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry, and Sepp Straka already locked in, the six captain’s picks are all that remain.
On the other hand, with stars like Ludvig Åberg and Nicolai Hojgaard in the mix, Wallace’s chances now rest on hope.
Luke Donald is expected to announce his six captain’s picks on Monday, at 2 p.m. ET.
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