Matt Wallace (bottom row – second from left) is eyeing a Ryder Cup spot (Image: Getty Images)
Matt Wallace is on a mission to secure his dream place in Luke Donald’s European Ryder Cup squad, having narrowly missed out on the prestigious event back in 2018.
Despite clinching three victories in Europe that year, he was overlooked for a wildcard selection by then-captain Thomas Bjorn in favour of seasoned players such as Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter.
Driven by his past disappointment, Wallace is now desperately eyeing one of the six automatic spots for the upcoming Ryder Cup or aims to impress Donald enough to be chosen as a captain’s pick.
“Everyone knows how much I want to be there,” Wallace told while competing at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Currently, he ranks fourth in the European standings, trailing only behind Rasmus Hojgaard, Tyrrell Hatton, and Rory McIlroy. Looking to capitalise on the double points up for grabs at the Rolex Series event in the Middle East this week, Wallace is determined to climb the rankings.
He added: “I have to produce now until the rankings stop. I am in a decent spot, that is why I came back to Europe and started out here.
“We are going to carry on, hopefully have a big week this week with the points being doubled. That is all I care about, that is my incentive. I care about scoring points on the Ryder Cup list, and if you are high up on the Ryder Cup list you will high up the other lists, so that is my main focus and hopefully go and get that. My end goal is Ryder Cup.”
Wallace saw his chances for selection rise after playing for the GB&Ireland team at the Team Cup—considered a key event for those looking to impress ahead of the Ryder Cup. His performance grabbed attention, particularly as he contributed to his team’s decisive victory over Continental Europe.
Reflecting on the Abu Dhabi event, Wallace expressed how great the team experience was. “It was amazing,” he enthused. “Our team environment was really nice and I think that is why it showed in the score. We were playing for each other.”
“That is what a team event is all about, it is not about individuals. It was a cool experience and I would like to experience again in September.”
Wallace also noted that European captain Donald had been giving valuable feedback throughout last week.
Wallace is optimistic that his performance has caught the captain’s eye, demonstrating his potential value for the team at Bethpage Black. He shared insights from the skipper: “[Donald] said this is a great opportunity to show what you are about on the golf course and off it and they get to see that,” Wallace remarked.
“I don’t specifically know what they want but all I tried to show specifically was being a team player, a will to win and have each other’s back and be as good a teammate as possible and hopefully showed that.”