England’s Matt Wallace held his nerve in a play-off to register his first DP World Tour win in six years with a dramatic victory at the Omega European Masters.
Wallace began the day with a four-shot lead but when playing partner Alfredo Garcia-Heredia birdied the last to join him on 11 under, the pair had to return to the 18th tee for an additional hole in Crans-sur-Sierre.
Faced with a near-identical approach shot to the one in regulation play just minutes earlier, Wallace hit it to within eight feet – some 15ft closer than his previous effort – to put the pressure back on his opponent, who had seized the momentum with his final-hole birdie.
The 42-year-old Spaniard – whose 132-event wait for a maiden win continues – could not hole his birdie attempt from 18ft and Wallace roared with relief when his putt dropped, fighting back the tears in his post-round interview.
“That’s a hard day,” Wallace told Sky Sports after a level-par 70. “I felt like I played alright. I felt there was a score out there but I couldn’t get anything going. I just kept pushing and Alfredo did what he had to do at the end there.
“It’s a lot easier to make birdie when you need to on the last. I’ve been playing great and you don’t want to give it away. I stuck at it.”
How Wallace held on for Swiss victory
The wind, which destroyed scores on day three, had been replaced by rain but it did not make it any easier for Wallace – winner of the Corales Puntacana Championship on the PGA Tour last year – who drove up against a tree at the first to make bogey.
Wallace ended a run of pars with a birdie at the driveable par-four seventh, where playing partner Andrew “Beef” Johnston – also made three there and holed a 17-foot putt at the next to reduce the lead to three.
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Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston says he was ‘delighted’ at finishing third in the European Masters coming back from injury and facing mental health struggles over the last few years
He bogeyed the par-five ninth to put Wallace four ahead when play was delayed by 25 minutes on the 12th tee due to rolling fog, only for Garcia-Heredia to charge back into contention with three birdies in a four-hole stretch.
Johnston also posted back-to-back birdies from the 14th to get within one of Wallace, who cancelled out a birdie at the 15th with a dropped shot at the next, but was unable to match Garcia-Heredia’s brilliant birdie at the last and make it a three-way play-off.
Wallace’s play-off victory is his fifth DP World Tour title and first since the 2018 Made in Denmark, with the success also putting him as the early lead in the race to qualify for Europe’s next Ryder Cup team.
A third-place finish is Johnston’s best on the DP World Tour since August 2020, have seen injuries and long stretches away from competitive golf leaving him playing on a membership exemption this season.
Live DP World Tour Golf
World No 862 Cedric Gugler finished tied-fourth on home soil alongside Jason Scrivener, while Alex Fitzpatrick claimed a share of sixth place with Joost Luiten.
What’s next?
The DP World Tour heads to Northern Ireland for the Amgen Irish Open, held at Royal County Down GC, where Rory McIlroy headlines and Shane Lowry also features. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event.
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.