Matt fires into Ryder card race
MATT WALLACE made a late bid for a Ryder Cup wild card with an impressive victory in front of European captain Thomas Bjorn at the Made in Denmark event in Silkeborg.
The Englishman sealed a third win in his last 15 starts in dramatic fashion, birdieing five of his last six holes to finish on 19-under 269 and qualify for an all-English four-man play-off with Lee Westwood, Steven Brown and Jonathan Thomson.
Wallace and Brown both managed birdies on the first extra hole and headed back to the par-four 18th. The 28-year-old hit a great approach and birdied again from four feet to claim victory as Bjorn looked on at his home course.
Asked if his win had given the Team Europe captain a selection headache Wallace said: “I’ve given myself one! That play-off was pretty mental, four-man. To do it in the style I’ve done it, BY DALE RANKIN that just shows who I am, my determination, my grit and that’s what I’m all about.”
Bjorn’s fellow Dane Thorbjorn Olesen had earlier secured the final automatic place on the team to face the United States at Le Golf National at the end of the month.
Matt Fitzpatrick could have taken it with a win but now the Englishman joins the likes of Wallace, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Paul Casey and Rafa Cabrera Bello anxiously waiting to see Bjorn’s four wild card selections on Wednesday.
Bjorn said: “There are a few newcomers in there but strong names and people who I have a lot of trust in.
“I’m pretty set on two or three names and I’m pretty much there in how I see this team being. But there’s still one little doubt in my head.”
That doubt could be whether to risk in-form rookie Wallace.