Wallace targets Ryder Cup but Casey chances hit snag
There were wildly contrasting final rounds for two Englishmen yesterday as Paul Casey blew a big lead to miss out on his second title this season and Matt Wallace came from behind to double up in 2018.
While Casey was unable to convert a four-shot advantage at the Travelers Championship into silverware which would have made his Ryder Cup return all but certain, Wallace earned an outside chance of a debut in September’s match in Paris with a BMW International Open win in Germany.
The 28-year-old from London continued his stunning rise from the game’s minor leagues by beating former world No 1 Martin Kaymer, Thorbjorn Olesen and Mikko Korhonen by a shot.
Wallace is determined not to rest on his laurels, however. He is up to 61st in the world and now has entry to the biggest tournaments on his compass.
“I work hard for this and I believe I can do it. I want to go further,” Wallace said, after picking up a cheque for more than £290,000.
Wallace will never lack for selfbelief and he was unashamed in declaring his intention to be part of the plans of Thomas Bjorn, the Europe captain at Le Golf National.
He climbed to 12th on the European points list, from which the top four automatically qualify for the biennial match in France, and he knows exactly what is required. “I need to play my way into the Ryder Cup and this is a good start,” he said.
Wallace paid special praise to Olesen, the Dane who shot an extraordinary 11-under 61 to post a nine-under total. It took Wallace until the 13th to take a share of the lead before an excellent tee shot on the 16th set up the crucial birdie.
Kaymer looked like joining Wallace on 10 under before floundering late on – but after his first top-three in three years, the two-time major champion was not complaining.
“I putted really well, especially today,” Kaymer said. “I need to focus on the positives and there have been quite a few.”
Casey was forced to search for similar optimism after capitulating to his two-over 72 in Cromwell, Connecticut, a final round that was 10 shots worse than his third.
A win – which seemed almost certain after 54 holes – would have hurtled the 40-year-old into the automatic berths on the world points list of the Europe standings, but bogeys on the 16th and 17th saw him fall into a tie for second, three behind the winner, Bubba Watson.
The maverick American lefthander earned his third win of the year after a brilliant closing 63.