Matt Wallace is hoping a Major-like focus to his next three events on the DP World Tour will help him realise his goal of making the 2025 European Ryder Cup team.
In his pursuit of being part of Captain Luke Donald’s cohort at Bethpage next month, the Englishman is teeing it up at the Danish Golf Championship, Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo and the Omega European Masters over the next three weeks.
With the qualification period to make the European fold ending next week at The Belfry, and with the Captain’s Picks to be announced on September 1 – a day after the DP World Tour’s stop in Switzerland – time is running out for Wallace to press his claims forward.
He comes into the week 11th on the European Team Rankings, with Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood joining Rory McIlroy on Monday as the latest players to secure automatic qualification.
While he may have missed out on qualifying for the PGA TOUR’s season-ending FedEx Cup Playoffs, Wallace is confident he is as best equipped as he could hope for what is a decisive stretch in his quest.
“I have got three events to force my way into the Ryder Cup team,” said Wallace.
“I am playing some really good stuff, and it is a great opportunity to showcase my game, how I am playing, and I am playing well at the right time.”
While reluctant to be too drawn on how many spots he feels are still up for grabs, Wallace believes he is “part of that group” still in the mix.
“Everyone knows I want to be part of that team right, everyone knows,” he added.
“I am just happy with how I have performed over the last month, month and a half [and] the majors that I played in.
“I had to qualify for the U.S. Open, and I got there and played well there (finishing in a tie for 23rd). Apart from a couple of shots at the US PGA [Championship] and the U.S. Open I could have been in contention for two majors.
“And then at The Open, I was there [or thereabouts] into the final day and had a bad last round. It happens in golf.
“I went and finished third the next week at the 3M Open [on the PGA TOUR] so I am playing some good stuff, so I just want to do that for the next three weeks.”
Wallace is returning to an event he has fond memories at having won what was then known as the Made in Denmark title in a play-off in Silkeborg in 2018.
Despite that win – his third of a breakout season that year – he missed out on a Captain’s Pick from the then European skipper Thomas Bjørn, who went on to oversee a dominant victory for the hosts at Le Golf National.
Ever since, that near-miss has acted as a source of huge motivation and Wallace is hoping he can produce a series of eye-catching performances to match the way he started the qualification period with victory at the Omega European Masters last September.
“I am playing well, and I want to do my job and hopefully it will be different to how it was when I won in Silkeborg.
“If I can replicate the same sort of result as I did there, then hopefully I will give Luke a headache like I tried to do with Thomas, and it will go in my favour this time,” said the World Number 82.
“I am just very happy with how I am playing right now. I played really well at the end of last year, I didn’t play well at the start of this year, and I have turned it around and I am sure Luke will want to have someone who is playing really well now going into Bethpage.”
After arriving in Copenhagen on Friday last week as part of planned visit to the Danish capital, Wallace was walking the course at Furesø Golf Klub as early as Sunday as he sought to familiarise himself with a venue which is welcoming a DP World Tour event for the first time.
“I am not going to under prep for these next three weeks,” he said.
“I have three weeks to show Luke what I am about and that is what I am going to do.
“I am going to do everything as if these next three weeks were Majors.
“This golf course is no joke, it is a serious test of golf.
“Yes, there are some short holes but there are some beasts out there so you have to drive it well, your approach game, short game and putting need to be good.”
I have three weeks to show Luke what I am about and that is what I am going to do
Wallace, who has six titles to his name across the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR, believes he is in a “different position” to previous Ryder Cup bids, saying he was "immature" before but he has now found a way to harness his fierce competitiveness.
Pointing to his putting in particular as an area of his game that he has improved over this year, he believes he is among the very best on the greens over the last few months.
“A change in mindset, approach and routine has really helped me get to a point where I am putting the best I have done,” he said.
“The stats will show the whole year, but I know that for the last three months my putting is top ten in the world.
“I feel like I can add a bit of spice to our team. The determination is there.
“It would mean so much to me if I could make a team, win some points to try and win the Ryder Cup.”
