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 on the Omega European Masters.
Wallace started the day with a four-shot lead however when taking part in companion Alfredo Garcia-Heredia birdied the final to hitch him on 11 below, the pair needed to return to the 18th tee for a further gap in Crans-sur-Sierre.
Confronted with a near-identical strategy shot to the one in regulation play simply minutes earlier, Wallace hit it to inside eight ft – some 15ft nearer than his earlier effort – to place the strain again on his opponent, who had seized the momentum together with his final-hole birdie.
The 42-year-old Spaniard – whose 132-event look ahead to a maiden win continues – couldn’t gap his birdie try from 18ft and Wallace roared with aid when his putt dropped, preventing again the tears in his post-round interview.
“That’s a hard day,” Wallace informed Sky Sports activities after a level-par 70. “I felt like I performed alright. I felt there was a rating on the market however I could not get something going. I simply stored pushing and Alfredo did what he needed to do on the finish 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 changed by rain however it didn’t make it any simpler for Wallace – winner of the Corales Puntacana Championship on the PGA Tour final yr – who drove up in opposition to a tree on the first to make bogey.
Wallace ended a run of pars with a birdie on the driveable par-four seventh, the place taking part in companion Andrew “Beef” Johnston – additionally made three there and holed a 17-foot putt on the subsequent to cut back the result in three.
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Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston says he was ‘delighted’ at ending third within the European Masters getting back from damage and going through psychological well being struggles over the previous few years
He bogeyed the par-five ninth to place Wallace 4 forward when play was delayed by 25 minutes on the twelfth tee as a consequence of rolling fog, just for Garcia-Heredia to cost again into competition with three birdies in a four-hole stretch.
Johnston additionally posted back-to-back birdies from the 14th to get inside one in all Wallace, who cancelled out a birdie on the fifteenth with a dropped shot on the subsequent, however was unable to match Garcia-Heredia’s sensible birdie on the final and make it a three-way play-off.
Wallace’s play-off victory is his fifth DP World Tour title and first because the 2018 Made in Denmark, with the success additionally placing him because the early lead within the race to qualify for Europe’s subsequent Ryder Cup group.
A 3rd-place end is Johnston’s finest on the DP World Tour since August 2020, have seen accidents and lengthy stretches away from aggressive golf leaving him taking part in on a membership exemption this season.
Reside DP World Tour Golf
Thursday twelfth September 1:00pm
World No 862 Cedric Gugler completed tied-fourth on house soil alongside Jason Scrivener, whereas Alex Fitzpatrick claimed a share of sixth place with Joost Luiten.
What’s subsequent?
The DP World Tour heads to Northern Eire for the Amgen Irish Open, held at Royal County Down GC, the place Rory McIlroy headlines and Shane Lowry additionally options. Reside protection begins on Thursday from 1pm on Sky Sports activities Golf and Sky Sports activities Essential Occasion.
Sky Sports activities+ has formally launched and can be built-in into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities prospects entry to over 50 per cent extra dwell sport this yr at no additional value. Discover out extra right here.
