The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Wallace pays price after he takes it slow over par putt
Golf: Englishman unfazed by £3,000 fine as he remains top of leader board
A day after being fined for slow play, England’s Matt Wallace set the pace at the halfway stage of the DP World Tour Championship, where the battle for the Race to Dubai took another twist.
Wallace added a flawless 65 to his opening 68 at Jumeirah Golf Estates to reach 11 under par, a shot ahead of former Masters champion Danny Willett, Jordan Smith and Adrian Otaegui.
Current Masters champion Patrick Reed is two shots off the lead after a 66 compiled in the company of Rory McIlroy, whose 67 left him a stroke further back alongside Tommy Fleetwood, Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Dean Burmester.
Fleetwood needs to win the season-ending event and see Ryder Cup partner Francesco Molinari finish outside the top five if he is to retain his status as European number one, a scenario that looked unlikely when Molinari carded an opening 68.
However, the Open champion struggled to a 73 yesterday to end the day in a tie for 27 th on three under, six shots behind Reed in fifth place.
Wallace was fined £3,000 for taking too long over a par putt on the ninth hole on Thursday.
He would have faced a one-shot penalty for any further transgressions, but stayed within the time limits and birdied four of his last five holes.
Seven more birdies on Friday took the 28-yearold to the top of the leader board and he had no issues with slow play as he seeks the biggest win of his career and a fourth European Tour title of the season.
“We were on the clock and I managed to make a couple of birdies (on the seventh and eight), which was nice, and thought we were going to be off it pretty soon,” Wallace said.
“And then I had a really tough two-putt on nine; I had a 40-footer up and over (a ridge) and left myself about 20 feet, so I had to reread it and that took longer than it should have done.
“I’ve never been done before so I wouldn’t say I’m slow, but it is what it is.
“I spoke to Andy (McFee, European Tour senior ref- eree) afterwards and said I’m going to work on it.”
As for his recent form, Wallace, who was fifth in Sun City on Sunday, added: “I’ve got rid of all the expectations that have come with playing well and winning. I’ve expected higher from myself and that’s just killed me.
“So I’m playing with freedom now and trying to place as high as I possibly can come the back nine holes on Sunday.
That’s when I normally will try and kick in and want to win a tournament.”
Inverness’s Russell Knox moved up 20 spots on the leader board to tie for 27 th after a second round of 68 to reach three under overall.